The Art of Selection - Understanding Teachers' Intervention Choices for Preschool Autistic Students

Oct 15, 2026

The Art of Selection investigates how early childhood special education teachers choose evidence-based practices (EBPs) to support young autistic children with social-communication goals. Adoption of EBPs is inconsistent, and teachers often find selecting appropriate interventions challenging. A survey of 312 teachers used inductive and deductive qualitative methods to analyze factors shaping their selections. Teachers emphasized intervention-related rationales; evaluations were influenced by personal values, beliefs, and multifaceted decision processes, informing training and future implementation research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

EBPs for Autistic Children

Tailoring interventions to individual needs

Examples of practice implementation

Research Study The Art of Selection: Understanding Teachers’Intervention Choices for Preschool Autistic Students Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities 2025, Vol. 60(3) 247–265 © Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities 2025 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/21541647251386994](DOI: 10.1177/21541647251386994)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/21541647251386994)[journals.sagepub.com/home/eta](journals.sagepub.com/home/eta) Jesse I. Fleming 1 , Suzanne McClain2 and Maria L. Hugh3 Abstract Multiple reviews of research establish evidence-based practices (EBPs) that practitioners may use to support autistic children. Unfortunately, adoption of these EBPs remains variable and low, and many teachers report identifying and selecting appropriate practices for their students is a challenge. Decision-making guides informed by implementation theories and end-user considerations are needed. To identify factors that can be embedded into a decision-making guide, we surveyed 312 early childhood special education teachers and asked them to select an EBP to support a young autistic child with a social-communication goal and to explain their choice. Using both inductive and deductive qualitative approaches, we explored factors that inﬂuenced their EBP selection. Educators most often reported intervention factors as a rationale for their selection, and evaluations of interventions were frequently shaped by personal values and beliefs. Additionally, participants demonstrated a nuanced understanding of EBPs and engaged in a complex and multifaceted decision-making process when selecting interventions. Implications for policy and practice include training future and current teachers to select appropriate interventions given different students and contexts and conducting research that evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and adaptability of EBPs. 1 Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA 2School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA 3School of Education and Human Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA Corresponding Author: Jesse I. Fleming, Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Arizona State University, 1050 S. Forest Mall Mail Code 5411, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. Email: jesse.ﬂ[eming@asu.edu](eming@asu.edu) Keywords autism, disability/ies, preschool, education, instructional strategies Received: October 7, 2024; revised: June 26, 2025; accepted: June 26, 2025 Autistic children make up about 13% of children receiving special-education services in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024) . By the time autistic children go to kindergarten, many have not become proﬁcient communicators (Andzik et al., 2018). Early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers play an important role in choosing and leveraging instructional practices, such as evidence-based practices (EBPs), that facilitate skill development (Domitrovichet al., 2008; Steinbrenner et al., 2020). However, educators report selecting an appropriate EBP is the primary obstacle to supporting skill development in autistic students (Brock et al., 2020), and current teacher training models do not prepare them for effective decision-making and implementation (Hugh et al., 2023, 2025; Locke et al., 2019). Therefore, identifying factors that inﬂuence EBP selection for teachers of young autistic students is crucial to overcoming selection and implementation challenges (Hugh et al., 2022; Sulek et al., 2019). The purpose of this study is to explore how ECSE teachers describe factors that inﬂuenced their selection and rejection of EBPs for an autistic child. This study is part of a larger research project that found teachers’ beliefs predicted the

FAQs

What problem does the study address about teachers’ use of EBPs?

EBP adoption remains variable and teachers report difficulty identifying and selecting appropriate practices for autistic students. The study targets factors embedded in teachers’ intervention choice decisions.

How was data collected and analyzed in this research?

The researchers surveyed 312 early childhood special education teachers and asked them to select an EBP and explain their choice. Inductive and deductive qualitative approaches were used to explore influencing factors.

What factors most influenced teachers’ EBP selections?

Teachers most often cited intervention-related factors as their rationale. Evaluations of interventions were frequently shaped by personal values and beliefs, and decisions reflected a complex, multifaceted process.

Oct 15, 2026

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