Evidence-based practice integrates our clinical practices and expertise with scientific evidence and our unique relationships with our students. While evidence-based practice, or EBP, has long been a goal of mine, if I am completely honest, it has been difficult to assess the validity of the research I have read. This is a very real challenge for professionals. How do we learn how to critically read and interpret experimental design and then apply that knowledge into our everyday practice? Until I started this SLPD program I couldn’t tell you with any kind of confidence what p-values are and their importance when looking at data. I couldn’t tell you anything about internal validity threats, statistical significance, or regression analysis. The instinct was there after years of experience, but instinct is only one interaction in EBP.

In schools, we don’t talk a lot about evidence. We may talk about data. We may even talk about “proven methods”. We definitely talk about years of experience and continuing education, certifications and licensing. All of these are very valid and important badges of education. However, it is not always clear that trends in education follow the lines of evidence and research. I would even argue that the chasm between the lab and the school is larger than that of the lab-hospital, lab-clinic, lab-private practice. And I wonder if this distance perpetuates a latent and ambiguous distrust of public school expertise when families are met with sudden educational needs for their children. (I will likely address this in another post at a later time.)

In a survey given to SLPs regarding EBP, many participants reported that they did not know how to access online databases from university, public, and medical libraries – sources outside of ASHA. Not only is this a problem of lack of engagement with EBP but also a lack of diverse information sources. Also, “Participants self-reported that EBP is beneficial and important but that engaging in EBP can be difficult. The largest barrier to engaging in EBP was lack of time during the workday to stay up-to-date on research. Finally, although participants self-reported a lack of employer-led training in EBP, a majority also self-reported that employers value EBP in the workplace.”¹

So what to we do about EBP in schools? It would be easy for me to say, “Well, that should really come from the top-down!” The fact is that schools (and, really, any setting) have so many moving parts that it’s really difficult go from null to thriving EBP in an academic calendar. As a faculty, we could commit to accountability and advancing our practice with new, relevant research, but broad, systemic change really starts with…me.

Small changes that I hope to make in my immediate world:

• A steady feed of research in my inbox – I am subscribed to the ASHA Journal and have set up Google Scholar Alerts to send me research related to my areas of interest. My current alerts include, “Autism”, “Autism and Joint Attention”, “Response to Intervention”, and “Multi-tiered Systems of Support”.
• Commit a specific time to read the research – If I were to commit to reading research for 30 minutes a day during breakfast or lunch when I would otherwise be catching up on social media, I could potentially educate myself with 5-10 studies a week!
• Record my thoughts and important takeaways – I could start a running record of notes on an app like Evernote, Apple Notes, Google Doc, etc., to have things on hand that I would like to try for my own practice.
• Put it into practice – I could choose 1-2 things that I would like to try that month AND with whom I would like to try them.
• Share – I could right a blog post on my experience trying out these practices or I could share with other professionals.
• Revisit this process on a regular basis – Every three months or so, I could check to make sure this system is working

For now, this seems like a very doable process. I am sure it will feel clunky and clumsy at first. All new practice do, right? But I am committed to reading research. I am committed to applying research to my practice and expertise. I am committed to sharing research with my co-workers. And I am committed to keeping parents informed about evidence-based practice. Whether you’re an educator or an informed parent, I hope you will join me!

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Mahatma Gandhi