Evidence Based Practice
Evidence based practice was
demonstrated fourth semester through the completion of a critically appraised topic, which was
designed to portray significant findings regarding occupational therapy
interventions for children with autism. My research question stated “What are
the effects of exercise on appropriate play behavior in children with autism
(ASD)?” Fourth semester involved several weeks of research and articles reviews
utilizing key words within our search to obtain information that would
contribute to current evidence regarding exercise. The American Occupational Therapy
Association states that exercise-based activity has many benefits including
stress reduction, increased flexibility and muscle tone, improved athletic
performance, increased respiration and energy, and maintenance of a balanced metabolism
(AOTA, 2013). Findings identified exercise-based
strategies as interventions used in the classroom to increase attention,
increase social skills, decrease maladaptive behavior, and increase functioning
in children diagnosed with ASD. This review processed the meaning behind the
importance of evidence and allowed students the opportunity to read articles of
interest while completing the assignment. I feel that my understanding of
evidence based practice has improved over the course of the program and find
myself reading articles for pleasure rather than for an assignment.