Dissemination and decision-making: Factors related to pre-service practitioners’ selection of practices for students with autism

Though increasing the teaching of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within pre-service preparation programs is one approach to addressing the need for increased use of EBPs in the field, this approach likely oversimplifies the problem. We surveyed 60 pre-service practitioners’ decision-making around selection of EBPs and non-EBPs that are commonly used for students with ASD. We then explored factors related to participants’ familiarity with, approval of, and likelihood to select practices and evaluated the effects of source-trustworthiness on their decision-making. Participants were familiar with most practices but more often approved of and selected EBPs than non-EBPs. Interestingly, participants were more likely to select one EBP when it was presented by an untrustworthy source than when presented by a trustworthy source. Based on these findings, we discuss recommendations for pre-service programs to promote the use of EBPs through active dissemination and consideration of individual factors in an effort to move EBPs into routine practice.