There is a broad consensus that a research-to-practice gap exists in the education of students with autism, the extent of this gap has not been well studied. It is important that the research findings indicate the real-life challenges and factors that are involved in impacting the population with learning disabilities. In this study, the researchers surveyed 99 teachers in Ohio about their highest priority goals for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), they had their personal approach for addressing these goals, the degree to which students had made progress, and barriers to student progress. Only half of all teachers described an approach that included any evidence-based practice (EBP) which indicated that they are relying on their practice and its outcome as the primary source of important information regarding students that had ASD. Teachers often reported inadequate progress on Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, and that identifying and implementing effective intervention practices were barriers to progress. The study concluded through its findings that there was some alignment between the outcomes prioritized by teachers and those measured by researchers in the literature, although teachers more highly prioritized academic and cognitive outcomes.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1088357619881217
