Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., et al. (2020).
Chapel Hill (NC): The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute; National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team.
This systematic review investigates the efficacy of interventions (e.g., behavioral, clinical, developmental, educational) in children and youth on the autism spectrum, between birth and 22 years of age. This article is updated from Wong et al. (2014), please see Notes on This Article for more information.
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; National Instititutes of Health; Ireland Foundation; Mr. John E. Rucker; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K. Cox, A. W., Fettig, A., Kucharczyk, S., Brock, M. E., Plavnick, J. B., Fleury, V. P., & Schultz, T. R. (2014). <i>Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.</i> Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Autism Evidence-Based Practice Review Group. https://autism.unt.edu/sites/default/files/2014-EBP-Report%20%28NPDC%29.pdf
1990 to December 31, 20117
Group design studies; single case design studies
972 (427 studies 1990-2011; 545 studies 2012-2017)
Visual supports, including scripting, was reported to be an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, cognitive, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Although identified as an intervention with some evidence in the previous review, Ayers sensory integration now met criteria to be classified as an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, communication, and social skills in young and school-aged children on the autism spectrum.
Video modeling was classified as an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Modeling was classified as an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, communication, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrim.
In the previous review, direct instruction was classified as an intervention with some evidence but was revealed to now meet criteria as an evidenced-based intervention to address academic/pre-academic, cognitive, play, and social skills in young and school-aged children on the autism spectrum.
Peer-based instruction and intervention, including peer-mediated interventions and adult-mediated interventions involving peers (e.g., structured play groups), were identified as evidence-based approaches to address pre-academic/academic, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Social narratives, including Social Stories, was reported to be an evidence-based approach to address pre-academic/academic, communication, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Social skills training, including theory of mind training, was identified as an evidence-based intervention to address communication and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Prompting was classified as an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
The following behavioral interventions were classified as evidence-based approaches to address various skills including pre-academic/academic, cognitive, communication, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum:
<ul>
<li>antecedent-based intervention; </li>
<li>cognitive behavioral/instructional strategies (including self-regulated strategy development and other academic-focused cognitive interventions); </li>
<li>differential reinforcement; </li>
<li>discrete trial training; </li>
<li>extinction; </li>
<li>functional communication training; </li>
<li>reinforcement; and </li>
<li>time delay.</li>
</ul>
Augmentative and alternative communication—including the Picture Exchange Communication System, aided language modeling, and speech-generating devices—was revealed as a new category of evidence-based practice to address pre-academic/academic, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
Self-management was found to be an evidence-based intervention to address pre-academic/academic, communication, and social skills in young and school-aged children on the autism spectrum.
Naturalistic interventions, including Pivotal Response Training, were identified as evidence-based approaches to address cognitive, communication, joint attention, play, and social skills in children and adolescents on the autism spectrum.
Auditory integration training was revealed to have insufficient evidence to be considered an evidence-based practice.
Parent-implemented intervention was classified as an evidence-based approach to address play skills in young and school-aged children on the autism spectrum and communication skills in children and young adults on the autism spectrum.
