Topics in Early Childhood Special Education

months) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has begun emerging in the past decade. Although still quite sparse, this literature reflects a range of intervention methods. A central concern for early intervention (EI) providers is the congru-ence of reported research-based practices with guiding EI principles. Therefore, as EI researchers produce evidence that can inform practice, issues such as the role of families, natural environments, and developmental appropriateness are important considerations. Identification of ASD in toddler-aged children is increas-ing as early screening and diagnostic evaluation protocols become more widely accessible. The diagnosis, which encompasses a wide range in severity of social communica-tion challenges, is beginning to extend to younger children; however, the typical age of identification remains older than age 3 years even as high-quality diagnosis of 2-year-olds has been found to be reliable (Lord et al., 2006). Because the preponderance of research in ASD drew from this older population of identified children, emerging inter-vention protocols for toddlers with ASD may be influenced by a “push down ” of intervention methods (i.e., application to toddlers of intervention techniques used with older chil-dren). This may raise concerns of congruence with EI pol-icy and recommended practice for toddlers with ASD