The TEACCH Program for Children and Adults With Autism: A Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies
Clinical Psychology Review
Virues-Ortega, J., Julio, F. M., et al. (2013).
Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 940-953.
This meta-analysis investigates the effect of Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program on outcomes (e.g., cognition, language) in children and adults on the autism spectrum.
Not stated
No publication date restriction; searched on December 1, 2012
Peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies (not further specified)
13
"The evidence base currently available does not allow [us] to identify specific characteristics of the [TEACCH] intervention (duration, intensity, and setting) and the target population (developmental age) that could be driving the magnitude of effects ... in general, [the effects are] replicated across age groups, although the magnitude and consistency of intervention effects are greater among school-age children and adults" (p. 950).
"TEACCH effects on perceptual, motor, verbal and cognitive skills were of small magnitude in the meta-analyzed studies. Effects over adaptive behavioral repertoires, including communication, activities of daily living, and motor functioning, were within the negligible to small range. There were moderate to large gains in social behavior [ES= 0.65; 95% CI = 0.15 to 1.15] and maladaptive behavior [ES = -0,92; 95% CI = -1.51 to -0.33]" (p. 949).
