Although much research has documented the benefits to children with autism of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), little has focused on the impact of EIBI on families. Using a semi-structured format, we interviewed 53 parents whose children had received 2 years of EIBI to obtain detailed first person accounts of the perceived benefits and pitfalls of running a home program, and the impact of EIBI on family life and support systems. In general, parents were positive about EIBI, its benefits for them, their child, and the broader family. Interviews also, however, revealed some of the more challenging aspects of managing home-based EIBI. The implications of these findings for more supportive interventions for families on home programs are discussed.
The authors report 1-year outcomes for 11 children (3-7 years) with autism who attended an "Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) classroom" educational intervention in a mainstream school setting. The children learned new skills by the end of 1 year and learned additional skills during a 2nd year. Group analysis of standardized test outcomes (IQ and adaptive behavior) showed moderate to large effect size changes over 1 year, with further changes during a 2nd year. Standardized test outcomes for nine children after 2 years were also analyzed against a comparison group (n = 18) of children with autism receiving "education as usual." These controlled comparisons were associated with statistically significant large effects in favor of the ABA group for adaptive skills. Exploratory analysis also showed that increases in language and learning skills in the ABA class group were generally associated with positive changes in standardized test scores. A comprehensive behavioral intervention model can be successfully implemented in a mainstream school setting.
A number of studies have demonstrated positive outcomes for typical learners from the internet-based reading program, MimioSprout W Early Reading (MER). In the present study, a preliminary evaluation of MER was conducted with four children with autism who attended an applied behavior analysis educational program in a school setting. The primary aim was to investigate whether it would be feasible to use MER with children with autism and whether any adaptations to the standard teaching procedure would be needed. A secondary aim was to investigate whether completing MER would improve early reading skills. When additional discrete-trial table top activities were designed to supplement each child's progress, every child was able to complete all 80 lessons and showed similar correct performance to that reported for typically developing learners. Results from a standardized test of reading ability showed an improvement in word recognition reading age for all children from 14 months to more than three years over the 14 weeks of teaching. A follow-up test showed that gains were maintained eight weeks after the end of the intervention. MER can be successfully used with children with autism and can improve their early reading skills.There has been considerable interest in the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) methods as a comprehensive early intervention model for children with autism in home and center-based or school-based settings. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest positive outcome data, especially for cognitive, language, and adaptive skills (e.g., Eldevik et al., 2009Eldevik et al., , 2010Reichow, 2012). In addition to a focus on social, language and other adaptive skills, ameliorating academic skill deficits is often a component of ABA programs. A total of 67% of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been classified as learning disabled due largely to deficits in the acquisition of specific academic skills (e.g., Dickerson Mayes &
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