The NDBI Navigator

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, Dr. Jamie sits down with Dr. Kyle Frost, Assistant Professor at UMass Chan Medical School and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, to explore her research focused on optimizing early intervention for young autistic children. Dr. Frost’s work bridges research and practice, with an emphasis on improving the effectiveness, fit, feasibility, and equity of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) in community settings. Together, they discuss Kyle’s development of the NDBI-Fi, a fidelity tool designed to assess the shared components across various NDBI models, and explore its potential in research, training, and implementation. The conversation also highlights her ongoing studies on the active ingredients that make NDBIs effective, as well as practical strategies for supporting their scaling and sustainability in real-world environments. A spotlight is placed on Reciprocal Imitation Teaching (RIT) as an exemplar of a focused NDBI that is both accessible and effective.

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, Dr. Jamie talks with Dr. Sienna Windsor, a clinician whose work blends research, cultural humility, and practical clinical insight. Sienna discusses supporting families from diverse backgrounds through responsive parent coaching, naturalistic interventions, and collaborative goal setting. They explore how slowing down, listening deeply, and staying flexible helps make parent-mediated intervention culturally aligned and empowering. The conversation also highlights Sienna’s own learning journey and broader themes of intersectionality, respectful communication, and equitable access to care.

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, Dr. Jamie sits down with Dr. Sho Araiba and Dr. Marija Čolić to explore their innovative social skills program—affectionately called Play Dojo by its participants. Rooted in neurodiversity-affirming practice, the program uses play as the primary medium for building foundational social skills in autistic children. Together, the guests share how their community-led initiative in Hawai'i blossomed into a research-informed program grounded in joy, flexibility, and empowerment.