17 September 2010

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are pleased to be able to share a new document SCERTS and Evidence-based Practice which is attached below. As you may know, we have been working on this document over the past year to support those who have been implementing or wish to implement the SCERTS Model. We are now ready to share this first version with you. It is also now posted on www.SCERTS.com.

We wrote this paper as we felt it was important that we make our position clear regarding The SCERTS Model, and current guidelines for evidence-based practice. The SCERTS Model is relatively new to many practitioners and parents, and it is important to articulate how SCERTS is consistent with basic tenets of evidence-based practice, so that we are able to support and defend our practices when necessary.

As you will see, we make a clear case that The SCERTS Model was developed on the basis of research in ASD and child development, as well as evidence-based practices currently being employed with individuals with ASD. Furthermore, there currently are a number of research initiatives underway examining the efficacy of practice in The SCERTS Model with preschool and school-age children that you may not be aware of.

We feel that The SCERTS Model compares favorably with other educational and treatment approaches when standards of evidence-based practice are considered, especially given the relatively short time since the SCERTS manuals have been available. Please feel free to share "SCERTS and Evidence-based Practice" with colleagues and parents. You also have permission to post a link from your website to this document on www.SCERTS.com.

As we note, this is the first version that will be updated as more information becomes available through research and educational practice. The official SCERTS website, www.SCERTS.com, is the best source for the most current information on The SCERTS Model, and we encourage you to use this as a resource. Thank you so much for your interest in The SCERTS Model, and for all your important work in supporting individuals with ASD and related disabilities and their families.

All my best,

Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Download a copy of The SCERTS Model and Evidenced-based Practice (pdf 800kb)