Provision of Appropriate Services that are Evidence-Based
Autism Spectrum Disorders Services (ASDs): Final Report on Environmental Scan (March 2010)
(PDF: 2498kb) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissioned IMPAQ International,
a social science research firm, to conduct an environmental scan of the scientific
evidence regarding the efficacy, effectiveness, safety, and availability of
services and supports for children, transitioning youth, and adults with
Autism Spectrum Disorders. This report describes findings from the study.
The National Standards Report (November 2009) provides information on which treatments have been shown to be effective for children with ASD. It covers a broad range of applied treatments, identifies the level of scientific evidence available for each, and provides specific information about the age groups, treatment targets, and diagnostic populations to which these treatments have been applied. It is the final report of the National Standards Project, which was convened by National Autism Center in 2005 to work on establishing and ratifying a set of standards for effective, research-validated education and behavioral intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Evidence-based Practices for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders - The National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has adopted a formal definition of evidence-based practices (EBP) and identified 24 practices for children and youth with ASD that meet their criteria. (posted December 2010)
Preventing Challenging Behavior: A Model for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (November 2, 2009), with Glen Dunlap and Phil Strain. - This online Webinar and discussion, hosted by the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI), presents a three-tiered framework for organizing prevention and intervention strategies that is appropriate for home, community and preschool applications.
The Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism, funded by a grant from OSEP to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences published Educating Children with Autism (2001). This book outlines an interdisciplinary approach to education for children with autism, explores what makes education effective for the child with autism and identifies specific characteristics of programs that work. Recommendations are offered for choosing educational content and strategies, introducing interaction with other children, and other key areas. An ERIC Digest ( The Earlier the Better: Interventions that Benefit Children with Autism 2001) summarizes the findings.
Areas of Agreement about Effective Practices Among Programs Serving Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (1999) is a journal article that examines the commonalities and differences in practice among nationally known programs. This study presents preliminary results from a NECTAS-sponsored autism forum activity about areas of agreement about effective practice.
See also - OSEP-funded Early Childhood Projects on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)