Lately there is much discussion concerning evidence-based practice in various professions——speech-language pathology, education, and occupational therapy. As a result, many professionals are asking questions such as "What is evidence-based practice?" and "How do I know if research is "high quality?" and "Where do I find research for making evidence-based decisions?" Below are answers to these questions that you as a professional may find helpful in making evidence-based decisions for your students/clients.

The position statement developed by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) defines evidence-based practice as "an approach in which current, high-quality research evidence is integrated with practitioner expertise and client preference and values into the process of making clinical decisions." In other words, evidence-based practice involves the knowledge of current research in combination with clinical expertise and the individual needs of the client in making therapeutic decisions.

The terminology used when referring to research-based teaching methods varies among professions. The field of speech-language pathology uses the term evidence-based practice, and the educational field uses the term evidence-based instruction or research-based instruction. NCLB and IDEA 2004 use the term scientifically-based research. Whatever term your profession uses—evidence-based, research-based, or scientifically-based—the meaning is the same.

Ideally, the best source for finding high quality, reliable research is through a meta-analysis, which is a summary of several related studies. Naturally, this collective look at a number of studies is a better source of reliable and accurate research information than a single study. An example of a meta-analysis in the area of literacy is the National Reading Panel, which conducted a study of the available literature on reading instruction. When a meta-analysis is not available, professionals must examine individual studies to find the information needed for evidence-based instruction. Click here to see the NRP report.

Research journals and publications are a valuable resource for studies to guide your evidence-based decisions. Often these articles can be found online. Many professional organizations also provide their members with information on evidence-based practice.

We know that busy speech-language pathologists and educators do not always the time to spend searching online or in the library for high-quality research. So, we have tried to help you get started by providing a list of references to support targeting specific skills. We have also included a list of products to use in your therapy or classroom that work on these particular skills.

Click here to see the Technical Report published by the ASHA that explains in detail how to evaluate individual studies for evidence-based practice information.

American Speech-Language Hearing Association. (2005). Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders {Position statement}. Available at http://www.asha.org/members/deskref-journals/deskref/default