Autism Treatment in the First Year of Life: A Pilot Study of Infant Start, a Parent-Implemented Intervention for Symptomatic Infants

Abstract

The goal of early autism screening is earlier treatment. We pilot-tested a 12-week, low-intensity treatment with seven symptomatic infants ages 7–15 months. Parents mastered the intervention and maintained skills after treatment ended. Four comparison groups were matched from a study of infant siblings. The treated group of infants was significantly more symptomatic than most of the comparison groups at 9 months of age but was significantly less symptomatic than the two most affected groups between 18 and 36 months. At 36 months, the treated group had much lower rates of both ASD and DQs under 70 than a similarly symptomatic group who did not enroll in the treatment study. It appears feasible to identify and enroll symptomatic infants in parent-implemented intervention before 12 months, and the pilot study outcomes are promising, but testing the treatment’s efficacy awaits a randomized trial.

The motor way: Clinical implications of understanding and shaping actions with the motor system in autism and drug addiction

“…In ASD, early motor cognition anomalies resulting in basic motor-understanding difficulties could be one of the crucial neurocognitive markers for ASD detection (Becchio, Pierno, Mari, Lusher, & Castiello, 2007;Cattaneo et al, 2007;Fabbri-Destro et al, 2009;Parma, Bulgheroni, Tirindelli, & Castiello, 2013;Rochat et al, 2013), and potentially they could be tested even in infancy, before the onset of unequivocal behavioral symptoms (for reviews from nonmotor perspectives, see Jones, Gliga, Bedford, Charman, & Johnson, 2014;Keehn, Müller, & Townsend, 2013;Klin, Shultz, & Jones, 2015). Furthermore, considering that ASD is a lifelong condition that usually requires permanent assistance, motor cognition anomalies may assume a pivotal role for setting (early) rehabilitative protocols to improve social functioning (Pineda, Carrasco, Datko, Pillen, & Schalles, 2014;Rogers et al, 2014;Zwaigenbaum, Bryson, & Garon, 2013). Speculatively, the idea that the motor system plays a crucial role not only for controlling the elementary physical features of movement (e.g., force, direction, and amplitude), but also for higher functions (i.e., to understand and to shape behavior; see the introduction), radically changes the way in which we conceive others' behavior and our own (Gallese, 2007;Sinigaglia, 2013;Sinigaglia & Rizzolatti, 2011).…”

Update on behavioral interventions for autism and developmental disabilities

“…Они получали кратковременное вмешатель-ство, а затем наблюдались на протяжении двух лет. Диагностические тесты, проведенные в три года, показали, что шесть из семи детей не про-демонстрировали соответствия критериям РАС по сравнению с выборкой детей группы высокого риска, большинство из которых получили диагноз РАС в три года [8]. Другая широко обсуждаемая работа -это лонгитюдное исследование детей с диагнозом РАС, получавших интенсивные пове-денческие вмешательства в раннем детском воз-расте.…”

Case Report of the Unique Effects of ABA on A Child with Autism in Iran

“…[5,11]. Similarly, not only significant improvement is seen in children whom undergo home based therapy but also the more the involvement of the family in the process of therapy, correlates with the better results [12][13][14][15].…”