Practice-driven research for statewide scale up: Implementation outcomes of the California Autism Professional Training and Information Network.
Jessica Suhrheinrich, Allison S Nahmias, Yue Yu and 4 others
PMID 35021914WHAT IT FOUND
Providers trained by the statewide autism network reported higher openness to evidence-based practices, more frequent data collection, and better classroom learning environments.
They did not show higher fidelity to specific interventions or improved overall classroom quality compared to untrained providers.
Key findings
01Trained providers reported significantly higher openness to evidence-based practices than untrained providers, but no significant differences were found in appeal or requirements.
02Trained providers were more likely to collect fidelity data and student outcome data, and to use their primary evidence-based practice with most or all students.
03There was no significant difference in self-reported fidelity to the primary evidence-based practice between trained and untrained teachers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
All outcomes were self-reported by providers, which may inflate fidelity scores and introduce bias. The study used a cross-sectional survey design comparing trained and untrained providers, so it cannot prove that CAPTAIN training caused the observed differences; trained providers may have been more motivated to begin with. Recruitment relied on social media and email, making it impossible to determine the response rate or how representative the sample is of all providers. The analysis did not have sufficient power to compare outcomes between specific individual evidence-based practices.
Declared interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to report.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher openness and data collection rates as proof that CAPTAIN training improves the actual fidelity of intervention delivery. The study found no significant difference in self-reported fidelity between trained and untrained providers, and the cross-sectional design cannot rule out that more open providers sought out training.