Abstract
The evidenced-based practices (EBPs) movement in the field of special education began ~20 years ago. This study contributes to that literature. It investigates the teachers' knowledge and use of EBPs to teach students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia. The Teachers' Knowledge and Use of EBPs Survey was administered to 240 special education teachers. The participants generally reported a medium level of knowledge and use of EBPs for students with ASD. Female teachers' use of EBPs was greater than that of males, and teachers who attended more than five professional development programs reported greater use of EBPs than those that attended fewer programs. Knowledge and use of EBPs were related. Gender and professional development programs were predictors of teachers' use of EBPs for students with ASD. Teachers' knowledge of EBPs for students with ASD is a vital indicator of teachers' use of those practices, professional development programs can improve such knowledge and use, and teachers' use of EBPs for students with ASD could be improved by offering high-quality professional development programs.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interactions and displays of restricted repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Kakkar, 2019)
The coefficient alphas for knowledge and use of evidenced-based practices (EBPs) were calculated separately. They demonstrated high reliability, with estimates of 0.93 for knowledge and 0.935 for use. These results indicated that the survey could be used as a valid, reliable tool for assessing the knowledge and use of EBPs for students with ASD
The results indicated that the total mean for knowledge was 2.33, with item means ranging from 2.06 to 2.71
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interactions and displays of restricted repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Kakkar, 2019). The estimates of the prevalence of ASD have approached 1% of the population in the US and that in all other countries, with similar results in child and adult samples (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) Many of these children with ADS are included in general education classrooms (Meindl et al, 2020)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
