Evaluating Evidence-Based Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in School Settings

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) requires the implementation of structured, evidence-based practices (EBPs) to support student success in school environments. This practicum at HANDS in Autism® focused on evaluating the presence and fidelity of core EBP components within classrooms using the School WORK™ framework. The five essential domains—Program Design, Assessment, Environmental Control, Teaching, and Behavior Intervention- served as the foundation for data collection and analysis. Data were entered from various classroom-based measures into Excel and REDCap, harmonized using R programming, and prepared for outcome-based analysis. The practicum provided hands-on experience in literature review, healthcare data entry, data harmonization, and behavioral data analysis, strengthening both technical and professional skills. Results from this effort support the use of structured assessment tools in guiding school teams to identify strengths and gaps, and in driving targeted interventions for students with ASD.