Research: Intensive Behavioral Treatment for Children with Autism: Four-Year Outcome and Predictors

Authored by Sallows, GO, and Graupner TD in Am J Ment Retard., Volume 110, Issue 6, p. 417-438, (2005).

Article summary (posted Oct 21, 2006):

This article offers strong support for intensive home-based ABA therapy.

The authors found that intensive applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment is effective for children with autism regardless of whether it is managed by parents or clinics. One group of children was assigned to a parent-directed treatment group, in which ABA consultants offered workshop-style training in ABA to the parents and therapists recruited by the parents. Another group of children received ABA therapy in a clinic. Children received either an average of 30 hours of ABA therapy at home or 38 hours of ABA therapy at the clinic. There was no difference between the two groups after four years of intensive ABA therapy. By the age of seven about half of all the children were in regular school classrooms. The authors suggest that the home-based therapy was effective because it was intensive.

Links:

You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
applied behavior analysis (ABA), autism, classroom, home, home-based therapy, intensive, intensive ABA therapy, parent, school, therapist, therapy, treatment
Share |