Pace School is committed to using instructional and behavioral practices that have been researched and proven to work and to use data to drive our instructional and behavioral decision making.

The federal Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) has placed scientifically based/evidence based interventions at the center of special educational policy and practices. IDEIA mandates:

  1. Scientifically based early reading programs, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and early intervention services to reduce the need to label children as disabled in order to address the learning and behavioral needs of such children.
  2. Pre-service and professional development for all who work with students with disabilities to ensure such personnel have the skills and knowledge necessary to improve the academic achievement and functional performance of children with disabilities, including the use of scientifically based instructional practices to the maximum extent possible.
  3. In determining if a child has a specific learning disability, a local education agency may use a process that determines if a child responds to a scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures.
  4. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) shall include a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child.

What is Evidence-based Practice?

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in medicine is defined as: “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise, and patient values.” (Sackett et al, 2000)

EBP is a decision-making approach that places emphasis on evidence to:

  • Guide decisions about which interventions to use
  • Evaluate the effects of an intervention

Pace School utilizes the acronym APIE (Assess Plan Implement Evaluate) to guide our evidence based practice approach to education and behavioral/mental health treatment.

What is evidenced-based mental health care for children?

When parents look for mental health treatment for their child or adolescent, it is common to look for someone who they like, who is available to see their child, and who provides a treatment that parents think will suit their child.

But parents should be aware that not all mental or behavioral healthcare treatments are equally effective. Some therapies work better than others.

Professionals that provide mental health care for child may have different approaches to helping young people. Some of these approaches are based on strong scientific evidence that indicates the best way to relieve symptoms in their patients. Others rely on methods that are not based on strong evidence or for which not evidence exists. Providing treatment that is based on scientific evidence of effectiveness is referred to as “evidenced-based practice” or EBP.

Pace School offers EBP for mental health problems that our patients exhibit at school, with peers, or at home. In addition, mental health therapists at Pace match interventions to a child’s particular problems rather than to a broad diagnostic category.

If you would like to learn more about the Partial Hospitalization Program at Pace or the type of mental health we offer, please call…