Closing the Research-to-Practice Gap in Autism: A Professional Practice Intervention Pilot Study for Increasing Use...

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Behavior Change Techniques
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Clinical speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face barriers translating research into pediatric autism communication services.
• Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial for effective pediatric autism communication services.
• There is a need for interventions to improve EBP uptake in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot an intervention integrating implementation science and behavior change techniques.
• To improve the use of EBP by pediatric autism SLPs in Australia.
• To design and evaluate a professional practice intervention for EBP enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Participatory action research with 27 SLPs in online communities of practice (CoPs).
• Participants set individualized EBP goals, developed action plans, and shared outcomes.
• Convergent mixed-methods analysis to assess effectiveness and mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The intervention significantly improved SLPs' opportunity and capability for EBP use.
• EBP use was sustained in the 3 months post-intervention.
• Experiential learning fostered sustainability and scalability; the intervention was effective in a new setting without researcher involvement.

Conclusions:

• Coproduced online communities of practice (CoPs) are an effective model for improving SLP EBP use.
• This model should be considered for future research translation projects in EBP.
• The intervention demonstrated successful scalability and sustainability in a novel context.