Effective, But Do We Know If It Is Accepted? Examining the Social Validity of Autism Evidence-Based Practices

Contemporary evidence-based decision frameworks recommend that educational practice integrate strategies supported by scientific evidence, with data to demonstrate individual effectiveness, and consumer perspectives. While large-scale reviews like the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) identify empirically supported strategies, social validation can help us understand if practices align with consumer values. We conducted a secondary analysis of studies included in the NCAEP technical report to examine researchers’ use of social validation measures across the autism intervention literature. Results indicated 27.89% of studies included social validity, with researchers predominantly relying on subjective rather than objective measures. Caregivers were the primary informants in early childhood studies, and autistic individuals predominantly assessed social validity in adolescent and young adult studies. Furthermore, fewer than half of these assessments evaluated the full social validity construct, which encompasses intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes. These findings offer opportunities for improving social validation practices in autism research.