A Practical Guide to Finding Treatments That Work for People with Autism provides a logical, culturally sensitive, and values-based resource to aid practitioners in making informed decisions on the most effective treatment for any given client at any given time. By providing multiple illustrative examples, practitioners will learn to use their professional judgment to integrate the best available evidence with client values and context. This will increase the efficacy of autism treatments, with the goal of producing meaningful gains across a range of skills. Contents: I. Introduction A. The evidence-based practice decision-making framework B. The need for incorporating multiple sources of information when making decisions about treatment selection or maintenance C. Purpose and format II. Best Available Evidence A. Systematic and Alternative Reviews B. Alternative Sources of Evidence C. Similarities/Differences of evidence in term of quality, quantity, consistency, and relevance III. Client Values and Context A. Identifying and involving client and all relevant stakeholders B. Biological/Medical considerations C. Client Preference D. Client Repertoire E. Supporting Environments F. Environmental & Resource Constraint G. Social Validity H. Reducing the Need for Behavior Analytic Services IV. Professional Judgment. A. Progress-monitoring B. Assessing contextual fit V. Application A. Example involving preschool child with ASD B. Example involving elementary/junior high-aged child with ASD C. Example involving adolescent with ASD D. Example involving adult with ASD About the Author: Dr. Susan Wilczynski served as the executive director of the National Autism Center from 2005-2011. She chaired the National Standards Project, the most comprehensive systematic review of the autism treatment literature of its time. She also promoted an evidence-based practice approach to autism treatment in her guides for parents (A parent’s guide to evidence-based practice and autism) and educators (Evidence-based practice and autism in the schools). She co-authored the article, “The evidence-based practice of applied behavior analysis,” in The Behavior Analyst, published a chapter on evidence-based practice and autism in a book she co-edited on effective interventions for autism, and has presented extensively on this topic. |