Review Protocols
This review-specific protocol guides the review of research that informs the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention reports in the Children and Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder topic area. The review-specific protocol is used in conjunction with the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook (version 3.0).
This review focuses on interventions designed for use with children and students ages 18 months to 21 years old with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The review examines the effect of interventions on the following types of outcomes: academic, communication/language competencies, problem behaviors, school engagement, self-care/daily living, self-determination, social-emotional, and transitional (i.e., the behavioral, social, and functional skills that enable young adults with disabilities to obtain and hold meaningful employment, live independently, and obtain further training and education). Interventions must be implemented in authentic education settings.
The following research questions guide this review:
- Which interventions are effective at improving outcomes for children and students classified with an ASD? Are some interventions more effective than others for children and students classified with an ASD?
- Does the effectiveness of interventions for children with an ASD vary by type of outcome?
- Are some interventions more effective for particular subgroups of children and students with an ASD (for example, different levels of ASD severity, co-morbidity with other disabilities, age groups, English learner status, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and school level) or in particular settings?
Table of Contents
- Purpose Statement
- Key Definition
- Procedures for Conducting the Literature Search
- Eligibility Criteria
- Evidence Standards
Protocol Details
- Version: 3.0
- Released: August 2015
- Version: 2.0
- Released: April 2011
What is a Protocol?
Starting in January 2021, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) uses the Study Review Protocol in combination with the Procedures and Standards Handbook to guide reviews of all studies. In particular, the Study Review Protocol provides additional information on eligible outcome domains for all topic areas reviewed by the WWC and provides examples of outcome measures that fall within each domain.
When conducting systematic reviews, the WWC uses the Study Review Protocol to review studies and an accompanying topic area synthesis protocol to define the parameters of the systematic review. The synthesis protocol provides criteria for the literature search; guidance on how to identify and prioritize relevant studies for review and inclusion in evidence synthesis products; and guidance on intervention, sample, and outcome eligibility criteria for the synthesis.
Prior to 2021, studies were typically reviewed using a topic-specific synthesis protocol and the corresponding version of the Procedures and Standards Handbook. In addition to defining the parameters for the review, these protocols described any topic-specific applications of the design standards, such as how to establish baseline equivalence between samples when required.