Professionals who serve learners with autism sometimes may suggest or express an interest in using an intervention that is not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence. Disagreements about the best course of action can compromise interprofessional collaboration and undermine parent relationships. This session will contrast science with pseudoscience as well skepticism from credulity to support judicious selection of interventions most likely to confer benefit. Strategies used to promote or defend pseudoscientific or unproven practices also will be shared along with suggestions for responding to such claims. This session will also describe an inquiry-driven approach for comparing interventions in order to disseminate effective interventions. By learning to recognize pseudoscientific interventions and then abstain from them (or put them to the test), professionals may develop stronger relationships with their colleagues and/or parents while advancing better outcomes for the people they serve.
Credits: Act 48, BACB, EITA/Infant-Toddler, NASP, Occupational Therapy, PA Board of PSYCH, Physical Therapy, Social Work
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Jason Travers is a professor of Special Education at Temple University where coordinates the graduate and undergraduate special education and applied behavior analysis degree programs. His research spans several topics related to autism developmental disabilities including evidence-based... Read More →
