Development, Procedures, and Application of the Evaluative Method for Determining Evidence-Based Practices in Autism

Recently, we sought to review the empirical evidence on interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in search of interventions meeting the criteria of evidence-based practice (EBP). As outlined in Chap. 1, EBP is defined differently by different disciplines. Although many of these definitions were quite good, it quickly became apparent that locating and defining EBP for children with ASDs using the available definitions and procedures would be difficult. Therefore, we decided to create a new method for evaluating empirical evidence to determine if a practice could be considered an EBP. This decision was made only after determining that existing methods were not well suited for our specific needs; when possible, elements and standards from existing methods were adopted into the evaluative method presented in this chapter.