Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism: Third Generation Review.

The review only included peer-reviewed English journal articles, so dissertations, conference papers, and non-English studies were excluded. Only studies with positive effects were included, and studies with null findings were not included. The review was not a meta-analysis, so it did not examine the size of effects. The literature search ended in 2017, so newer studies were not included. Most included articles used single case design studies (83%), and group designs made up 17%. The review excluded comprehensive program models, medical or psychopharmacological interventions, and interventions requiring specialized equipment or medical supervision. Participants were mostly preschool and elementary-aged children, and 84% of participants in studies reporting gender or sex were male. Race/ethnicity/nationality was reported in only 30% of studies, and Hispanic/Latino participants were 8% of participants in studies reporting this information. Co-occurring conditions were not reported in 55% of studies, and intellectual disability was the most frequent reported co-occurring condition (21%).

Funding was named from the Institute of Education Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Ireland Foundation, Mr. John E Rucker, and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.

Do not read the 28 evidence-based practices as guaranteed to work for every autistic child. The review counted studies that met criteria and showed positive effects, did not examine effect size, and excluded null findings.