ABSTRACT
There are many interventions that have been created for autistic children and young people. The aim of this chapter is to support educators to take a critical view of the evidence, and what is known about different approaches, in order to make informed decisions. The term ‘Evidence-Based Practice’ (EBP) is considered to be the process of drawing on research evidence and ensuring practice is based on interventions and approaches that have been validated by research. Research is seen as contributing to the knowledge base and practice as an application of that research. This chapter discusses why there is a need to think about the concept of evidence as being broader than current debates in autism education indicate. It needs to include data and practices in classrooms, the policy context and the perspectives of autistic people and their families. As such, it is more helpful to use the term ‘evidence-informed’ rather than ‘evidence-based’. The chapter provides an overview of the research evidence that has emerged from intervention studies in autism, and the challenges and difficulties with this research, before discussing the research–practice gap and the ways in which this gap can be narrowed in autism education. Finally, a guiding framework is proposed for how educators can draw on different data, knowledge and perspectives in the education of autistic children and young people.
