Research: Efficacy of Applied Behavioral Intervention in Preschool Children with Autism for Improving Cognitive, Language, and Adaptive Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authored by Spreckley, M., and Boyd R. in Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 154, Issue 3, p. 338-344, (2009).

Article summary (posted Jun 24, 2009):

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.

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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").
adaptive behavior, applied behavior analysis (ABA), autism, cognitive, discrete trial training (DTT), education, effectiveness, intervention, language, meta-analysis, preschool, review article, special education, systematic review, therapist, therapy
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