News: Home-Based Therapy as Intervention for Autism

Intensive Multi-Treatment Intervention (IMTI) is the autism treatment of choice for five families in Toronto, Canada. Jonathan Alderson, creator of IMTI, integrates a three-prong approach to the therapy. It combines  biological, behavioral and cognitive education, and family/therapist "Attitudinal Fitness" training to improve the child's life. Since the therapy requires 30-40 hours a week in a home-based playroom, families rely on volunteers. One mother explains the first of six phases, focused on building rapport with the child. "The approach doesn't attempt to eliminate the autistic behavior, but rather to join the child in what he's doing." The individualized program then introduces an adult-led instructive phase and a peer-play phase with the goal of the program to mainstream the child into school.

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