Preschool-Based Social Communication Treatment for Children With Autism: 12-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Trial

Abstract

This study is the first to show that, similar to specialist-delivered treatment, preschool-based treatment may produce small but possibly clinically important long-term changes in social communication in young children with autism. The treatment did not affect language and global ratings of social functioning and communication. More studies are needed to better understand whether treatment effects may be improved by increasing the intensity and duration of the treatment. Clinical trial registration information--Joint Attention Intervention and Young Children With Autism; http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00378157.

Evidence Base Update for Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…For example, the focused ABA þDSP intervention described in an earlier section (Kasari et al 2006) was adapted for delivery by classroom teachers, resulting in significant gains over TAU in play diversity and academic engagement (Goods, Ishijima, Chang, & Kasari, 2013). Other interventions that target social-communication skills, such as joint attention and play, have resulted in improvements in these specific skill areas (Kaale, Fagerland, Martinsen, & Smith, 2014;Kaale, Smith, & Sponheim, 2012). To investigate mechanisms of change, one RCT (Landa, Holman, O'Neill, & Stuart, 2011) evaluated the contribution of a specific treatment ''ingredient,'' interpersonal synchrony (matching the child's behavior and affect).…”

“…A few studies have included evaluations of skill generalization and maintenance. JA skills learned during treatment with an interventionist may extend to other people (Kaale et al, 2014;Kaale et al, 2012;Table 5) and hold up over time Kasari et al, 2008). Findings on whether these benefits lead to improvements on more global outcomes are mixed, with some studies documenting long-term change in language and others reporting few ancillary gains (Kaale et al, 2014).…”

Are We There Yet? The State of Early Prediction and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…The second article illustrates how targeting specific early deficits in autism (joint attention and joint engagement) by nonspecialists in the community results in significant improvements in these core deficits but not later language and cognitive scores compared with the control group. 2 These articles are welcome contributions toward resolving current questions about how best to maximize the effect of early identification and intervention for young children with ASD.…”

Video Modeling for Teaching Imitation to Young Children With Autism: A Treatment Comparison and Analysis of Potential Predictors of Success

“…Early intensive behavioral intervention programs are a particular type of ABA intervention in which young children receive between 25 and 40 hours per week of treatment in the acquisition of verbal behavior, pre-academics, imitation, and other essential skills either at home or in a school setting (Kaale, Fagerland, Martinsen, & Smith, 2014;Lovaas, 2003). The results of a recent meta-analytic study involving 344 children with ASD indicated that groups who received early intensive behavioral intervention were more successful in tests of IQ, non-verbal IQ, expressive and receptive language, and adaptive behaviors than counterparts who did not receive this treatment (Peters-Scheffer, Didden, Korzilius, & Sturmey, 2010).…”

“…One of the skill sets frequently targeted in early intervention programs is social interaction (Kaale, Fagerland, Martinsen, & Smith, 2014). Individuals with autism tend to display a series of deficits in social communication and interaction that are pervasive and present across contexts (APA, 2013).…”