Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapies may not be better than standard care in special education for children with autism. The authors looked at 13 research studies on the effectiveness of ABA intervention. These were well run studies that used discrete trial training as part of the behavioral therapy. The studies measured cognitive, language, and adaptive behavior skills. Four of the best studies were compared to similar studies of standard care; however, there were no significant improvements between ABA therapy and the standard care.