top of page

Evidence Based Practices

What is an EBP?

An evidence-based practice (EBP) in the field of special education is an instructional technique or intervention that is more likely than others to produce positive student outcomes (Cook et al., 2009). 'Evidence' for an EBP is usually in the form of scientific research that demonstrates an (ideally causal) relationship between the intervention and the outcome variable being measured. The following properties of the research base of a practice are considered when determining whether it qualifies as an EBP (Cook et al., 2009):

  • Research design

  • Quantity of research

  • Methodological quality

  • Magnitude of effect

 

What is not an EBP? - Fads and Pseudoscientific practices

Foxx & Mulick (2015) define a fad as a procedure, method or therapy characterized by the following life trajectory:​

Rapid adoption despite little validating research

Widespread use and recognition

Decline in use due to disconfirming research

Decline in use due to adoption of new fad

Foxx & Mulick (2015) define pseudoscientific practices as treatments that appear to be but are not scientific. Some of the attributes that pseudoscientific practices have that make them appear scientific include:

  • employment of technical jargon that sounds authoritative

  • inclusion of a theoretical support structure that references genuinely scientific content, with little evidence relating this content to the claims of the treatment

Foxx & Mulick (2015) further distinguish fads and pseudoscientific practices from EBPs on the basis of their following characteristics:

  • some are not only ineffective but may cause harm and be dangerous

  • they are not critically evaluated by their practitioners

  • they are not explicit in their methods, hence, are difficult to replicate

​

Autism - a fad magnet

Foxx & Mulick (2015) state that the following causes make fads particularly attractive in the autism therapy market:

  • apparent high prevalence of autism

  • lifelong implications of the disorder

  • severe impact on the functioning of the child and family

  • limited options for effective intervention 

​

bottom of page