Early, intensive behavioral intervention is effective in treating children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but can be cost prohibitive. Expenses may be defrayed if children can benefit from parents acting as therapists. This quantitative case series examines the efficacy of the Group Intensive Family Training (GIFT) program, a 12-week (180 h, delivered 3 h each weekday) parent-training for preschoolers with ASDs. Parents were individually mentored in the hands-on application of behavior analytic techniques, implementing these skills in vivo within a group of six parent-child dyads. Seventy-two parents and children (ages 25-68 months) with ASDs participated in this study. Children's cognitive and adaptive functioning was assessed before and after the intervention program. Analyses revealed average gains of eight standard score points on the Mullen Early Learning Composite and five standard score points on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite after 12 weeks of treatment. Additionally, 14% and 11% of the children moved from the 'impaired' to 'non-impaired' range on Mullen and Vineland composite scores, respectively. This preliminary investigation suggests that GIFT's behavioral, group parent-training can lead to significant, yet cost-and time-efficient gains for children with ASDs. Results must be interpreted with caution because of the absence of a control group. Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
INTRODUCTIONParents and professionals alike are increasingly concerned with the rising rates of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), an often disabling continuum of neuro-developmental conditions (Fombonne, 2003). Autism's core symptoms include a reduced capacity for reciprocal social interaction, qualitative impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, and the presence of restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior (Volkmar & Cohen, 2005). Especially in the absence of effective treatment, young children with autism often develop increasingly problematic behavior, including disruptive actions, aggression, and self-injury (Durand, 1990).Fortunately, more clinicians now routinely screen for ASDs in younger patients, allowing diagnosis in children as young as 18-24 months (Johnson, Myers, & American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007a;Matson, Wilkins, & Gonzalez, 2008). The primary goal of early diagnosis is early intervention, which is particularly important in light of negative correlations between age at onset of intervention and treatment gains (Fenske, Zalinski, Krantz, & McClannahan, 1985). The National Research Council, Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism (2001) reports that children who receive individualized, intensive intervention starting at an early age show the most dramatic treatment response. Their guidelines recommend preschoolers receive a minimum of 25 h of treatment a week, year-round.Treatment programs applying behavioral principles have received strong empirical support (Cohen, Amerine-Dickens & S...
