Research summaries for autism therapy: preschool

definition of preschool: School for children before kindergarten. In the United States preschool typically refers to children between the ages of three and five.
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One-Year Follow-Up of the Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Trials of a Home-Based Intervention Programme for Children with Autism and Developmental Delay and their Families, Summarized Feb 1, 2010

Home-based therapy for children with autism may be most helpful for cognitive and language skills.

Preschool children with autism in this study (59 children, 3 to 5 years old) attended special intervention centers and also received additional home-based services. There were 40 home visits over 1 year. This study asked whether improvements in cognitive skills and behaviors were still present one year after intervention was stopped. Improvements in cognitive and language skills lasted, but improvements in behavior did not. The authors said that children from more highly-stressed families benefited the most.

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Establishing Response and Stimulus Classes for Initiating Joint Attention in Children with Autism, Summarized Nov 27, 2009

Behavioral therapy may help children with autism learn verbal and nonverbal ways to start a social interaction.

People with autism may have problems initiating (starting) a social interaction. The first step is called “initiating joint attention.” This article describes the way that 3 preschool children with autism were taught these skills. Therapists used behavioral therapy techniques based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) theory. For one boy, the therapist used toys that could show a response (e.g., singing stuffed animal or piano with lights).... Read more...

Peer-Mediated Teaching and Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Preschool-Aged Children with Autism, Summarized Nov 24, 2009

Preschool children with autism may learn social communication skills from typically developing peers in an inclusive classroom.

Children at school may be able to teach their classmates with autism many things Children can use naturalistic teaching for social, communication, or academic skills. In this study, 6 typically developing children were taught how to use naturalistic teaching to help 3 classmates with autism learn to communicate; all the children were 3-5 years old. All 3 children with autism showed improvements in communication behaviors in the classroom and in the lunch room. Over time, only 1 of the 3 children continued to use the skills. The authors think that children as young as 3 years old can help teach their peers in inclusive classrooms.

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Addressing the Challenges: Developing a Programmatic Framework for the Systematic Integration of Evidence-based Practices for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Summarized Nov 3, 2009

A Michigan school district developed a program that offers services to children with autism using a team-based approach. The Huron Intermediate School District in Michigan developed a team-based program for autism services for preschool and elementary students. The district has had increased the number of students with autism over the past few years. They also have limited numbers of special education service providers.... Read more...

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Synonyms for preschool include: pre-K, pre-kindergarten, pre-school
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