This study evaluated the use of a peer video modeling and prompting intervention used to teach three adults with autism to give a specified verbal and physical response when greeted. This intervention used a six-step task analysis to verify correct completion of the target behavior. At baseline, each of the three participants gave little to no response when greeted but after the video modeling and prompting intervention all three had acquired at least five out of six (83%) of the target behavior steps. Follow-up probes demonstrated that all three of the participants had maintained at least 4 out of 6 (67%) of the targeted steps weeks after the intervention phase had finished. These data suggest that using peer video modeling and prompting to teach social skills to adults with autism can be an effective educational intervention.

Radiography has seen most development over the last 30 years with the evolution of new technologies, but perhaps more significantly changes in education models and radiographer roles. The development of advanced and consultant posts has facilitated the growth of the profession, although the evidence base is still evolving. Through a number of research projects this thesis will explore the growth in the radiography evidence base with specific reference to the extending role of the radiographer in image interpretation. Parallel clinical and academic developments have provided evidence of a scholarly profession which is slowly establishing its place through publication and a growing research base. / Please Note: The full text of each of the published articles, which are listed on page vii, has been removed from the PhD online copy due to publisher copyright restrictions. Links to the publisher¿s websites are given. To see the final full text version of the articles listed on page vii, please visit the publisher¿s website. Available access to the published online version may require a subscription.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe occupational therapists’ reasoning about the use of assessment tools in municipality services. Method: The study used a qualitative data collection method, eight occupational therapists who worked within municipalities were interviewed with the support of a semi-structured interview guide. To analyze the data, a qualitative content analysis was used. Results: Three categories were identified to answer the aim of the study; Differing needs depending on clients and area of work, varying engagement and interests in assessment tools and assessment tools in combination with time- and resource limitations. The results presented that the subject of assessment tools is complex within municipalities, and the occupational therapists’ reason about different factors that both prevent and promote the use of assessment tools. Conclusion: The study showed that multiple aspects influence the use of assessment tools within the municipality services, such as clients' needs, area of work, support and engagement from management and colleagues as well as time and resource limitations. However, assessment tools are overall described as something that provides a thorough assessment, efficiency and structure within the municipality services.

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There are several effective treatment methods and evidence based practices (EBP) for teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The use of EBPs is federally mandated, but it is often overwhelming for teachers to identify and implement available best practices with fidelity in the absence of ongoing training and support (Alexander, Ayres & Smith, 2015). Teachers often display low implementation fidelity, and, specifically, special education teachers often struggle with progress monitoring and data collection, which are essential elements of EBPs. Although most teachers are familiar with direct and frequent measurement for data collection, less than half reported using this type of progress monitoring in their classroom, stating several barriers including lack of time and knowledge (Wesson, King & Deno, 1984). One way to affect teacher implementation and behavior change is through different consultation styles, including performance feedback or a commitment emphasis approach. Performance feedback is a widely used and effective method to improve teacher implementation and treatment fidelity (Burns, Peters & Noell, 2008; Sanetti, & Kratochwill, 2009; Solomon, Klein & Politylo, 2012). A commitment emphasis model is a social influence strategy, which also shows continuing support for teacher behavior change (Noell et al. 2005). This study evaluated a strategy for increasing teachers’ completion of the Student Learning Profile (SLP), a curriculum-based student assessment that is administered as part of the Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research (STAR; Arick, Krug, Loos & Falco, 2004), using a randomized control group design to compare a performance feedback model with a commitment emphasis plus prompt model of consultation. Overall, the study found a significant effect for teacher SLP completion at time-point one for teachers’ in the experimental group using a commitment emphasis model, but less so over time. Implications for researchers, clinicians and educators are also explored. / Special Education

No / This article reflects on the debates about Evidence Based Practice and suggests a new approach to implementing a more reflexive and research aware social work practice in professional teams. We show that there has been a substantial focus on the responsibility of individual professionals for using best evidence to guide their practice and on the organisation to provide an environment and policies suited to EBP. We argue that there is a need to balance this by an increased focus on the professional and team culture in which social work takes place. We draw on the literature on organisational change and social work research to suggest a new direction for encouraging greater reflexivity and developing a more open participative approach to the use of evidence to shape new practices in social work at the local level.

Educational research contains many data-driven implications for inservice educational professionals including those who work closely with students with disabilities, special educators. Although special education professionals are under increasing directives to make use of this body of literature in the form of evidence-based practices, they historically strive for self-improvement and often look to research information for strategies as well as innovative approaches to help improve student achievement. Therefore, developing a comprehensive understanding of the issues related to the use of and perceived barriers to educational research information is critical to cultivating a more synergistic relationship between academia and inservice educational professionals. The current study queried 130 inservice special education professionals using an online, anonymous survey instrument. Participants were asked to respond to items that related to four main variables that may exert influence over their interaction with educational research information: general perceptions about educational research, perceived barriers to the use of educational research, typical sources of educational research information, and self-efficacy in the context of information literacy. Self-efficacy, as measured by confidence ratings, was investigated through two contexts: (a) finding information (general vs. research information), and (b) specific steps in the information literacy skill set. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that teachers generally hold positive perceptions of educational research, use a wide variety of sources for research information, and believe three main barriers exist to their use of research information: time, access, and the manageability of information. Although self-efficacy ratings were higher for finding general information versus research information, no differences were present between the steps of the information literacy skill set. / Ph. D.

The Swedish public sector has been influenced by an increased demand for efficiency, legal security and scientific evidence during the last decades. As a result, the framework Children’s Needs in Focus (BBIC) was developed to be used by the social services within child welfare work. Every municipality in Sweden has the license required to use BBIC, however there are limited studies conducted regarding social workers' experience of working with the framework. The aim of this study was to explore what social workers’ experiences are from working with BBIC. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore what kind of obstacles and opportunities there are with working with the framework. In order to capture the social workers experience, five semi-structured interviews were carried out. The results show that the interviewed social workers have an overall positive experience of working with BBIC. BBIC was found to be a tool that benefits both the professionals and also the client by creating legal security and increased client participation. Eventhough some obstacles were mentioned, these were not linked to BBIC itself but rather to a lack of knowledge of the framework. Gathering the social workers experience, the described obstacles and opportunities, the results clearly show that professional competence, professional discretion and organizational support are key factors required to work with BBIC.

Hand therapy (HT) is a specialty area of occupational therapy (OT) practice that focuses on rehabilitation for individuals with hand and upper extremity related conditions with aim to return to performance of daily activities required for life. As with other health professionals, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) have a duty to the public to ensure that services rendered are safe and use evidence-based best practices to improve patient health-outcomes. In HT clinics, OTPs face numerous challenges implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) including a lack of time, skills, and misperceptions of EBP (Scurlock-Evans et al., 2014), as well as reimbursement and funding models which incentivize high productivity over time to evaluate the evidence and integrate into clinical practice. The cost of OTPs not implementing EBP into their clinical decisions negatively impacts health outcomes of the patients under their care. The Hand Therapy with Evidence Based Practice (HT-EBP) program aims to enhance patient care through enhancing private HT clinics adoption of up-to-date research evidence into clinical practice. The HT-EBP program is designed for use in community-based private HT clinics that typically have less than 10 OTPs employed. A commitment of two OTPs, preferably one seasoned and one entry level, coming together in a mentor-mentee relationship is needed to implement the program. This program requires the participating clinics and OTPs to actively engage in the development of clinical care plans through review of research evidence on selected clinical diagnoses. Resulting from the HT-EBP program, the HT clinic will be able to provide evidence-based quality care while the OTP participants will develop professionally in the field of HT, gaining firm knowledge in clinical topics and building clinical confidence at the same time. This program will be further enhanced through 1) access to high quality research databases from clinic affiliated universities, 2) professional organization’s focus on continuing education courses that develop research knowledge and analytic skills for OTPs, and 3) collaborating with clinic managers to facilitate more time for clinicians to engage in acquiring and creating knowledge in chosen clinical topics of interests. The HP-EBP will first be piloted at the author’s private HT clinic prior to recruiting other private HT clinics to adopt the program. The HT-EBP program will aim to address the challenges that OTPs face when implementing EBP by working with universities, professional organizations. With time, it is anticipated that a significant volume of evidence-based clinical care plans would be compiled and shared among OTPs in HT, thus enhancing care for patients with hand conditions. Successful implementation of the HT-EBP program may have the potential to serve as a template for other healthcare specialties to deploy EBP.