Evidence-Based Special Education and Professional Wisdom: Putting It All Together

There has been an increasing focus on evidence-based practices in special education with efforts underway to authoritatively identify those practices that are evidence based. However the identification of evidence-based practices is only the beginning of the process of implementing evidence-based special education. The professional wisdom of special educators will be necessary for evidence-based practices to be implemented effectively and result in improved outcomes for students with disabilities. Specifically, special educators will have to apply their professional wisdom in (a) selecting and adapting evidence-based practices to their students' learning needs and goals, their own teaching strengths, and the educational environments in which the practice will be implemented; (b) assessing the effects of evidence-based practices; and (c) integrating effective teaching techniques in the delivery of evidence-based practices.