On the Importance of Being Earnest about Treatment Integrity.

The degree to which an independent variable is implemented as intended has come to be known as "treatment integrity." The purpose of this article is to substantiate the crucial role of treatment integrity in (a) establishing a science of intervention research in augmentative and alternative communication and (b) assisting practitioners to engage in evidence-based practice and to evaluate the outcomes of everyday interventions. A treatment integrity checklist is introduced to assist interventionists in planning, implementing, and evaluating treatment integrity. Given its importance, treatment integrity needs to be given considerable weight in publication decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]