Many types of early intervention can help children with autism.

This article reports on the South West Autism Programme (SWAP) of the United Kingdom, which was created to study the effect of early intervention on children with autism. The authors found good programs ensure that children who need early intensive services can see specialists. The best way to help the child is to form a working team that includes all agencies and all types of experts. Experts that need to work on the treatment team include: social workers, psychologists, and teachers. A good team uses evidence to decide on the best therapies for a given child. In addition, families need to be taught about autism and given practical help.