Improving educational outcomes for students with autism and intellectual disability is an important concern especially in countries with an increasing ratio of people with autism and intellectual disabilities. To obtain the optimal results the situation requires delivering services and supports marked by evidence-based practices.

535 special educators of students with autism and/or intellectual disability were surveyed about their implementation of 26 instructional practices, their recent access to training and resources on those practices, the factors they consider when deciding which practices to use, the importance they place on various instructional areas, and their preparedness to provide that instruction. Although teachers reported implementing a wide range of evidence-based instructional practices, surprisingly they also reported that their recent access to training and resources was fairly limited. Special educators identified a constellation of factors that impact their instructional decision making, placing emphasis on student needs and professional judgment.

The study concluded through its findings that considering instructional areas, a gap was evident between ratings of importance and preparedness. We address implications for strengthening professional development pathways and offer recommendations for future research.

Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1088357618755694

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