So What Is Research Based?!

Some of the key terms you will hear in field of autism is "research-based", "peer-reviewed", and "evidence-based." What exactly does that mean? Simply put, in order for a treatment to be considered valid, there must be multiple studies done in a rigorous method which show positive outcomes. When trying to find out more about autism, the amount of information can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are places that have sorted it out for you. This sites provide summarized information on treatments, what the research says (or doesn't say), and more.

Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)

ASAT provides summaries of scientific research on a number of treatment used with individuals on the autism spectrum (and other developmental disabilities.) They include both psychological/educational/therapeutic interventions and biomedical interventions.

Texas Autism Research Guide for Effective Teacher (TARGET)

The TARGET document provides summarized information for a number of common interventions for autism spectrum disorders. However, it does not include biomedial interventions. What makes the TARGET document unique is it covers information on various evaluation tools, who is qualified, how long it typically takes, and what type of information the evaluation provides.

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC)

The NPDC has identified 24 practiced which they consider to be evidence-based practices. They are working to provide free online training modules for each of those practices. These modules can also be found at www.autisminternetmodules.org