27 Evidence-Based Practices Within the SENBOX Framework

Evidence-Based Practices, or EBPs, are teaching and intervention strategies supported by research. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder identified 27 evidence-based practices for supporting autistic children and young people across learning, communication, behaviour, social development, and independence.  

SENBOX Holistic Education Connection

At SENBOX, these EBPs are connected to a wider educational framework.

 The purpose is not only to reduce behaviour or train isolated skills. The purpose is to support the child’s full development.

This includes:

Communication Development

The child should be supported to express needs, choices, emotions, refusal, pain, preferences, and ideas.

Emotional Regulation

The child should learn how to feel safe, understand stress, recover from difficult moments, and use regulation strategies.

Learning and Academic Readiness

The child should build attention, imitation, task engagement, problem-solving, memory, early academic skills, and classroom participation.

Social Development

The child should be supported to interact with adults and peers in meaningful, respectful, and developmentally appropriate ways.

Independence and Life Skills

The child should learn practical skills such as dressing, eating, hygiene, cleaning, transitions, safety, and daily routines.

Family and School Partnership

The child’s progress depends on consistent communication between SENBOX, parents, teachers, schools, and other professionals.

Evidence and Review

SENBOX uses documentation, observation, data, reports, and progress evidence to review whether the strategy is working and whether it needs to be adjusted.

Important SENBOX Caution

SENBOX recognises the value of Evidence-Based Practices. However, EBPs must not be used as isolated “tricks”, quick techniques, or one-size-fits-all interventions.

A child is not a collection of behaviours. A child is a whole person with emotional needs, communication needs, sensory needs, family history, learning style, cultural background, medical considerations, school expectations, and future life goals. For this reason...

SENBOX applies EBPs 

within a holistic educational approach.

 This means that each strategy must be connected to:

• the child’s Individual Education Plan

• the child’s Behaviour Intervention Plan when needed

• family priorities

• school expectations

• communication development

• emotional regulation

• independence and life skills

• long-term inclusion goals

• regular evidence collection and review

An EBP is only meaningful when it is selected carefully, implemented consistently, monitored with evidence, and adjusted according to the child’s real progress.

The 27 Evidence-Based Practices

1. Antecedent-Based Interventions

Changing the environment or situation before a behaviour happens, so the child is more likely to succeed.

Example: reducing noise, giving a warning before transition, or preparing visual instructions before a difficult task.

2. Cognitive Behavioural Intervention

Teaching the child to understand thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and to use strategies for self-regulation.

Example: helping a student recognise anxiety and use a calming routine.

3. Differential Reinforcement

Reinforcing helpful or appropriate behaviours while reducing reinforcement for behaviours that are unsafe or not useful.

Example: praising a child for asking for a break instead of leaving the classroom.

4. Discrete Trial Teaching

Breaking learning into small, structured teaching steps with clear instruction, response, and feedback.

Example: teaching colours, matching, or imitation through repeated structured trials.

5. Exercise

Using planned physical movement to support regulation, health, attention, behaviour, and readiness for learning.

Example: jumping, swimming, walking, stretching, or movement breaks before table work.

6. Extinction

Reducing a behaviour by no longer giving the behaviour the outcome that previously maintained it.

Example: not giving attention to attention-seeking shouting, while teaching and reinforcing an appropriate way to request attention.

7. Functional Behaviour Assessment

Identifying why a behaviour happens by looking at triggers, patterns, consequences, and the function of the behaviour.

Example: finding out whether a child is hitting to escape work, gain attention, access an item, or respond to sensory overload.

8. Functional Communication Training

Teaching a child a safer and clearer way to communicate the same need that was previously expressed through behaviour.

Example: teaching “help”, “break”, “finished”, or “I don’t want” using speech, visuals, signs, or AAC.

9. Modeling

Showing the child how to perform a skill before expecting the child to do it.

Example: demonstrating how to greet a friend, clean up toys, or ask for help.

10. Naturalistic Intervention

Teaching skills during natural routines, play, daily activities, and real-life interactions.

Example: teaching requesting during snack time or turn-taking during a game.

11. Parent-Implemented Intervention

Training and supporting parents to use intervention strategies at home and in the community.

Example: helping parents use visual schedules, communication supports, or behaviour strategies consistently.

12. Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention

Teaching peers how to support social interaction, communication, play, and inclusion.

Example: teaching classmates how to invite a child to join a game.

13. Picture Exchange Communication System

A structured communication system where the child uses pictures to request, comment, or communicate.

Example: giving a picture of “water” to request a drink.

14. Pivotal Response Training

Targeting important developmental areas that can improve many other skills at the same time.

Example: increasing motivation, initiation, response to multiple cues, and self-management.

15. Prompting

Providing help to guide the child toward the correct response, then gradually reducing that help.

Example: using verbal prompts, gestures, physical guidance, or visual cues.

16. Reinforcement

Increasing a skill or behaviour by providing a meaningful positive outcome after the child performs it.

Example: giving praise, access to a preferred activity, or a token after completing a task.

17. Response Interruption and Redirection

Interrupting a repeated or unsafe behaviour and redirecting the child to a more appropriate action.

Example: interrupting repetitive vocalisation during group time and redirecting the child to answer, request, or engage.

18. Scripting

Teaching the child specific words, phrases, or sentences to use in social or learning situations.

Example: teaching “Can I play?”, “I need help”, or “Your turn”.

19. Self-Management

Teaching the child to monitor and manage their own behaviour, work, or emotional regulation.

Example: using a checklist to track whether they completed classroom tasks.

20. Social Narratives

Using short written or visual stories to explain situations, expectations, and appropriate responses.

Example: a story about going to school, waiting in line, or visiting the dentist.

21. Social Skills Training

Directly teaching social interaction skills through instruction, practice, feedback, and real-life application.

Example: teaching turn-taking, sharing, greeting, conversation, or understanding personal space.

22. Structured Play Group

Organising play opportunities with clear roles, routines, materials, and adult support.

Example: setting up a small play group with guided turn-taking and shared play goals.

23. Task Analysis

Breaking a complex skill into smaller steps so the child can learn one step at a time.

Example: brushing teeth, washing hands, packing a school bag, or completing a worksheet.

24. Technology-Aided Instruction and Intervention

Using technology to teach, communicate, support independence, or collect evidence.

Example: communication devices, learning apps, digital schedules, video models, or progress tracking tools.

25. Time Delay

Pausing before giving a prompt so the child has time to respond independently.

Example: asking a question and waiting before giving help.

26. Video Modeling

Using video examples to show the child how to complete a skill or behave in a situation.

Example: watching a video of a child washing hands, greeting a teacher, or joining a group activity.

27. Visual Supports

Using visual materials to help the child understand routines, expectations, choices, communication, and learning tasks.

Example: visual schedules, first-then boards, choice boards, classroom rules, emotion charts, and task steps.

Professional Caution Statement

Evidence-Based Practices are important, but they must be used responsibly.

 A strategy may be evidence-based, but that does not automatically mean it is the correct strategy for every child, every family, or every school situation.

SENBOX therefore applies EBPs through professional judgement, child observation, family consultation, school collaboration, and regular review. The goal is not only behaviour change. The goal is educational justice, meaningful development, communication, independence, inclusion, and a better quality of life for the child and family.