The importance of evidence-based practice

Abstract

This editorial discusses the ways in which evidence-based practice should be developed and evaluated, from first hypotheses to gold standard ‘blind’ randomised control trials but also acknowledges that parents, educators and therapists usually have to make decisions on how to best help children with Down syndrome in the absence of this evidence. Guidance is offered on the ways in which new therapies can be evaluated, arguing strongly for objective evaluations and the avoidance of unproven and scientifically implausible approaches.