Evidence Based Practice

There have been two different views on whether or not evidence-based practices are sufficient for educating students with autism. Those who say yes, that evidence based practices are sufficient agree with this because the parents see progress and success in certain task (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015). “Basic life lessons have to become part of the special education curriculum for children with autism-some of whom can learn them only through direct teaching,” and one sufficient evidence-based practice is structured teaching (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015, p. 155). This is where the teacher creates a schedule for the student with autism to follow throughout the day. After the student completes one task on the list they can check it off.

This allows the student to have a visual representation of the day and “such scheduling can bring necessary routines to the child’s attention and allow him or her to live in a predictable world,” (Kirk et al., 2015, p. 158). Others would say no that evidence based practices are not sufficient for students with autism. This is because when a student with autism is lacking in one area, for example, difficulty creating social relationships, it doesn’t mean that the student doesn’t have the ability to do so; the student just needs more effort into nurturing such a skill (Kirk et al., 2015). When a delay is seen in a student with autism they shouldn’t automatically be throne into an evidence-based program.
After looking at both sides to this argument I would agree that evidence based practices are sufficient for educating students with autism. This is because the extra help provided by schools is useful to students not only with autism, but as well as students with learning disabilities. These evidence-based practices can really help students who are struggling and enhance their learning so they don’t fall behind their peers in school.