Evidence-Based Comprehensive Treatments for Early Autism
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Rogers, S. J., & Vismara, L. A. (2008).
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 8-38.
This review investigates the effects of early comprehensive interventions on language, social, cognition, and/or play in young children, 5-years-old or younger, on the autism spectrum.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders; National Institute of Mental Health
1998-2006
Controlled group designs, single-subject multiple baseline designs
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Findings demonstrated the Lovaas approach and Pivotal Response Training (PRT) as probably efficacious for young children on the autism spectrum. "Other well-known interventions may be as or more efficacious as Lovaas's model or PRT, but they have not been rigorously evaluated" (p. 31). The authors were unable to conclude which comprehensive treatment approach was best for young children on the autism spectrum due to a lack of comparative studies with long-term follow-up data.
"Significant increases in language and communication abilities in the tested group occurred in most studies and interventions with many targeted hours per week resulted in increases in IQ at group level as well" (p. 30).
