Sustaining Evidence-Based Practices by Graduated Special Educators of Students With ASD: Creating a Community of Practice

Source: Teacher Education and Special Education, 38(1), February 2015, p. 28-43

In this article, the authors used multiple measures to evaluate whether special education graduates
(a) remain in the field working with students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and
(b) sustain effective practices.

The participants were the first graduated cohort from a university program 6 years after graduation with a master’s degree with a specialization in autism, and at least 8 years working as special educators.

The findings reveal that all 12 graduates remain in the field.
All continued to collect data for progress monitoring purposes and continue to use the EBPs identified by the National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on ASD with fidelity.
All graduates indicated that the university program assisted in their capacity to implement and sustain their use of EBPs and attribute support from a community of practice as a sustaining factor.