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Redesigning an Autism Evidence-Based Practice Adoption and Decision-Making Implementation Toolkit for Middle and High
Jill J Locke1, Olivia G Michael1, Tana Holt2,3
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 6200 NE 74 Street, Box 354920, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
Schools need better ways to adopt autism evidence-based practices (EBPs). The Autism Community Toolkit (ACT SMART) shows promise but needs school-specific redesign for better usability by educators and improved student outcomes.
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Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Implementation Science
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Autistic adolescents primarily access services through schools, yet evidence-based practices (EBPs) are inconsistently implemented.
- A systematic approach is crucial for school personnel to select and implement autism EBPs effectively.
- The Autism Community Toolkit (ACT SMART) is an implementation tool with demonstrated success in community agencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the iterative redesign of the ACT SMART toolkit for educational settings.
- To gather stakeholder perspectives on the feasibility, usability, and appropriateness of ACT SMART in schools.
- To identify necessary modifications for contextualizing ACT SMART in middle and high schools.
Main Methods:
- A community-partnered, mixed-methods approach was used, involving focus groups and surveys.
- Perspectives were collected from school administrators, teachers, paraeducators, autistic students, and caregivers.
- Data were analyzed to assess acceptability, feasibility, appropriateness, and usability of the ACT SMART toolkit.
Main Results:
- ACT SMART was perceived as acceptable, feasible, and appropriate for school settings.
- Usability was limited, indicating a need for modifications to align with school structures and educator needs.
- Key modifications include integrating training with professional development, aligning with district timelines and IEPs, and adapting content for school contexts.
Conclusions:
- The redesigned ACT SMART toolkit has the potential to support EBP selection and adoption in schools.
- Further refinement using community-partnered and human-centered design is necessary.
- Future pilot testing will evaluate the feasibility of the redesigned toolkit in educational settings.

