Research: Can One Hour per Week of Therapy Lead to Lasting Changes in Young Children with Autism?

Authored by Vismara, LA, Colombi C., and Rogers SJ in Autism, Volume 13, Issue 1, p. 93-115, (2009).

Article summary (posted Jun 8, 2009):

Social communication may be improved in children with autism when their parents learn applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy methods to use at home at least one hour a week.

Eight families of toddlers with autism took part in 1-hour therapy sessions for 12 weeks. The parents and children were together during the sessions and the parents learned about therapy techniques. Parents learned how to use methods from the Early Start Denver Model of ABA in their daily routines at home. After 12 weeks, children were speaking more often and interacting more with their parents and therapists. Children continued to improve in 4 more follow-up sessions over 3 months with no therapist help. The techniques were also helpful for children with aggressive behaviors.

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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, communication, Denver model, family, home, lead, parent, social communication, therapist, therapy, toddler
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