Implementation of school-based services for students with autism: Barriers and facilitators across urban and rural districts and phases of implementation.
Jessica Suhrheinrich, Melina Melgarejo, Brittney Root and 2 others
PMID 34132123WHAT IT FOUND
School staff supporting students with autism described implementation as shaped by buy-in, workload, turnover, leadership, time, resources, and district location.
Rural staff described distance, staffing, training time, and materials as more impactful barriers.
Key findings
0133 school-based service providers described barriers and facilitators to implementing practices for students with autism.
02Personnel themes included attitudes and buy-in, knowledge and skills, staffing, and burnout; organizational themes included leadership, district structure, competing priorities, time for professional development, litigation, and materials.
03Rural participants described staff turnover, district structure, training time, and materials as more impactful barriers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The findings come from 33 participants in six focus groups in one state, so they may not represent other states, regions, or school systems. The participant roles and school structures described are specific to California special education services and may not match other systems. The sample included more participants from urban districts than rural districts. The study reports participants' perceptions of implementation barriers and facilitators, not measured fidelity, student outcomes, or the effect of any service. The themes are presented at the focus-group level, so they describe group discussions rather than individual provider experiences.
Declared interests
The supplied publication types include Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural. The text states that participants were recruited in partnership with CAPTAIN, an agency that one author has partnered with, and that another author is a community service provider. No formal conflict-of-interest declaration is provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that any school autism practice works or that removing a barrier will improve student outcomes. The paper reports what school staff said about implementation in six focus groups, not measured implementation fidelity or patient outcomes.