Interventions for challenging behavior of autistic students in general education settings: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Background

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, the number of students with ASD receiving their education in general education settings continues to rise. Yet, teachers are often underprepared to address the behavioral needs of autistic students in inclusive settings, which often leads to negative school outcomes. Currently, no review has systematically examined the characteristics and effects of behavioral interventions specifically for autistic students in general education settings. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to identify and synthesize empirical studies of interventions aimed at reducing the challenging behavior of students with ASD in general education settings.

Method

A literature search was conducted across three academic databases, yielding 9561 articles that were screened for eligibility against a set of inclusion criteria. Additionally, an ancestral search of included articles and a pearling search of recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on similar topics were conducted. Finally, 12 articles were descriptively synthesized.

Results

A lack of participant diversity in relation to disability, age, and race was found across the studies. Majority of the interventions were effective and interventions informed by functional behavioral assessments consistently yielded strong effects. Joint implementation of interventions was the most common form of researcher-practitioner collaboration, with a relative lack of studies involving practitioners in designing interventions.

Conclusions

Findings of this review imply a broader issue of restrictive educational placement policies for autistic students who engage in challenging behavior and a critical need to support educators to implement more inclusive educational and behavior management practices.