Research: Brief Report: Comparative ABA and DIR Trials in Twin Brothers with Autism

Authored by Hilton, JC, and Seal BC in Journal of Autism and Development Disorders, Volume 37, Issue 6, p. 1197-1201, (2007).

Article summary (posted Jun 26, 2009):

Identical twin brothers with autism showed different improvements using Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based therapy (DIR) and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy.

Their mother wanted to see which therapy might work better for both of her sons. Each twin (2 years, 4 months old) began with separate therapy sessions (DIR and ABA) and separate therapists. They each attended 16 therapy sessions. The child who received ABA therapy showed more improvement responding to his name and using signs than his brother. He also had some tantrums and aggression. The twin who received DIR intervention showed improvement in social interaction and symbolic behaviors. The mother chose to put both boys in DIR therapy, even though more gains were seen in the ABA-treated twin. The authors said that parents may choose therapies based on several factors including individual and family needs.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF").
aggressive behavior, applied behavior analysis (ABA), autism, DIR, family, interaction, intervention, joint attention, mother, parent, relationship, relationship-based therapy, social interaction, tantrum, therapist, therapy, twin
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