Evidence-Based Practices for
Supporting Students with
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kathy Gould, Program Manager
Illinois Autism Partnership at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago
[email protected]
Briana Weiner
Illinois Statewide Technical Assistance Collaborative
[email protected]
DSM IV vs DSM 5 SUMMARY

No separate categories / levels of severity

Communication and social deficits are merged

Restrictive interests/repetitive behaviors include sensory

Decrease emphasis on actual language delay

Increase emphasis on social behavior
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Later onset of symptoms with increased social demands
Major Changes
DSM IV
DSM 5
1. Social Interaction
1. Social Communication
2. Communication
2. Restricted
Interests/Repetitive
Behaviors/Sensory
3. Repetitive/
Restrictive
Behaviors
National Prevalence
 Between 2000 to 2008, autism prevalence has grown
from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 68* from the year 2000
until 2010. (Centers for Disease Control Report,
2014).
 Between1998 to 2010, the number of 6 to 21 year old
children receiving services for an ASD in public
special education programs increased from 54,064 to
370,011.
 In 2010, 370,011 children 6 through 21 years of age
and 49,251 children 3 through 5 years of age were
served under the "autism" classification for special
education services.
PBIS Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities
PBIS Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities
The impact of PBIS implementation on
elementary school students with disabilities is
being found to be even greater than on those
students without disabilities!
Why Evidence-Based Practices?
 Promotes positive outcomes for individuals with ASD
 IDEIA (2004) requires that educational strategies be used
that are based on “scientifically based research”
 Accountability for schools and teachers for instructional
practices employed
 Data driven decision making for instructional practice
choices
National Standards Project
National Autism Center
• Published 2009 National Standards Report
• Educational and Behavioral Interventions
(Comprehensive Treatment packages)
• Designed to achieve a broad learning or developmental impact on
the core deficits of ASD
• Strength of Evidence Ratings

 11 Established
 22 Emerging
 3 Unestablished
 0 Ineffective/harmful
Criteria for Inclusion in the Study
 Population/ Participants-Individuals with ASD between birth
and 22 years of age
 Interventions-Behavioral, developmental, or educational in
nature and could be implemented in typical educational
intervention settings (school, home, community)
 Comparison-Interventions compared to no intervention or
alternate intervention conditions
 Outcomes-Behavioral, developmental, or academic outcomes
 Study Design-Experimental group design, quasi-
experimental group design, or single-case design
Strength of Evidence Classification
System
 used to determine how confident we can be about the effectiveness of a treatment. Ratings reflect
the level of quality, quantity, and consistency of research findings for each type of
intervention.
 Established. Sufficient evidence is available to confidently determine that a treatment
produces favorable outcomes for individuals on the autism spectrum. That is, these treatments
are established as effective.

Emerging. Although one or more studies suggest that a treatment produces favorable
outcomes for individuals with ASD, additional high quality studies must consistently show this
outcome before we can draw firm conclusions about treatment effectiveness.

Unestablished. There is little or no evidence to allow us to draw firm conclusions about
treatment effectiveness with individuals with ASD. Additional research may show the
treatment to be effective, ineffective, or harmful.

Ineffective/Harmful. Sufficient evidence is available to determine that a treatment is
ineffective or harmful for individuals on the autism spectrum.
2009 NSP - 11 Established Comprehensive
Treatments
Antecedent Package
Behavior Package
Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Young Children
Joint Attention Intervention
Modeling
Naturalistic Teaching Strategies
Peer Training Package
Pivotal Response Package
Story-based Intervention Package
Schedules
Self-Management
How many are you currently implementing?
2008 NPDC 24 Focused Interventions
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Prompting
Antecedent- Based Intervention
Time Delay
Reinforcement
Task Analysis
Discrete Trial Training
Response Interruption/Redirection
Differential Reinforcement
Social Narratives
Video Modeling
Naturalistic Interventions
Peer Mediated Intervention
•
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Pivotal Response Training
Visual Supports
Structured Work Systems
Self-Management
Parent Implemented
Intervention
Social Skills Training Groups
Speech Generating Devices
Computer Aided Instruction
Picture Exchange
Communication
Extinction
Newly Updated 2014 NPDC EBP
 Incorporate more recent studies (2007-2011)
456 articles
 Expand timeframe (to 1970-1990)
 Broader more rigorous review of studies
2014-EBP-Report
Updated NPDC EBP
• What’s IN
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Cognitive Behavior Intervention
Structured Play Groups
Modeling including Video - Modeling
Exercise
Scripting
Technology based instruction and intervention*
• What’s OUT
–Structured work systems
Do you have specific knowledge of the focused
interventions and when/why to use them?
Intervention Approaches
 National Standards Project Comprehensive Treatment Model
(CTMs) consist of a set of practices designed to achieve a
broad learning or developmental impact on the core deficits
of ASD.
 National Professional Development Center for ASD Focused
Intervention Practices are designed to address a single skill or
goal of a student with ASD. These practices are operationally
defined, address specific learner outcomes, and tend to occur
over a shorter time period than CTMs.
Selecting EBP
Professional
Expertise
Evidence
Based
Practice
Individual
Characteristics
Best Available
Research
Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Guide to Evidence-based Practice
Missouri Guidelines Autism Initiative
Selecting EBP
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Consider
Age of student
Environment/Setting
Individual characteristics
Skills to be taught
Capacity to implement
Include families
Involve students
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Non-examples
Pick a package and go with
it
Do what feels right
This is what we have staff
trained in
Parents are asking for this
Supporting Family Involvement in EBP
 Serve as a classroom volunteer
 Maintain frequent communication
 Attend school-sponsored events
 Incorporate learning activities into home routines
(working on greetings at grocery store)
 Secure student input
 Consider family culture, values, and socioeconomic
status
Building Sustainability with EBP
 Step 1: Establish the Planning Team
 Step 2: Problem Clarification and Needs Assessment
 Step 3: Evaluating Outcomes
 Step 4: Developing a Training Plan and
a method to assess implementation fidelity
 Step 5: Sustainability
Taken from…
Evidence-Based Practices for Children,
Youth, and Young Adults with Autism
Spectrum Disorder
Autism Evidence-Based Practice Review Group
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The National Autism Center’s
Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools
A guide to providing appropriate interventions to students with autism spectrum disorders