Intensive, comprehensive treatment using a variety of applied behavior analysis methods was provided to a toddler who was determined to be at high risk for autism at the age of about 1 year. Initially, treatmentwas delivered in a one-to-one adult-child format in the child’s home and other settings, with gradual transitions to group instruction in early intervention and preschool classrooms. Intensi ve treatment continued for 3 years; by the 4th year, the childwas spending most of her time in a regular preschool classroom, with minimal ongoing one-to-one instruction. Direct observational data and results of norm-referenced tests documented large increases in language, social, cognitive, and daily living skills over the course of treatment.After 4 years, the child demonstrated no behavioral or developmental abnormalities, performed above her chronological age level on norm-referenced tests of cognitive and language skills, and was functioning as a typical child in a regular public school kindergarten classroom.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anderson, S.R. , Avery, D.L., DiPietro, E.K., Edwards, G.L., & Christian, W.P.(1987). Intensive home-based early intervention with autistic children. Education and Treatment of Children, 10, 352-366.
2.
Anderson, S.R. , & Romanczyk, R.G.(1999).Early intervention for young children with autism: Continuum-based behavioral models. Journal of the Association for Persons With Severe Handicaps, 24, 162-173.
3.
Birnbrauer, J.S. , & Leach, D.J.(1993). The Murdoch Early Intervention Program after 2 years. Behaviour Change, 10, 63-74.
4.
Fenske, E.C. , Krantz, P.J., & McClannahan, L.E.(2001). Incidental teaching: A not-discrete-trial teaching procedure.In C.Maurice, G.Green, & R. M. Foxx (Eds.), Making a difference: Behavioral intervention for autism (pp. 75-82). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
5.
Fenske, E. C. , Zalenski, S., Krantz, P. J., & McClannahan, L. E. (1985). Age at intervention and treatment outcome for autistic children in a comprehensive intervention program. Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 5, 49-58.
6.
Filipek, P. A. , Accardo, P. J., Baranek, G. T., Cook, E. H., Jr., Dawson, G., Gordon, B., Gravel, J. S., Johnson, C. P., Kallen, R. J., Levy, S. E., Minshew, N. J., Prizant, B. M., Rapin, I., Rogers, S. J., Stone, W.L., Teplin, S., Tuchman, R.F., & Volkmar, F.R.(1999). The screening and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 439-484.
7.
Fischer, K.W. , & Rose, S.P.(1994). Dynamic development of coordination of components in brain and behavior. In G.Dawson & K.W.Fischer (Eds.), Human behavior and the developing brain (pp. 3-66). New York: Guilford.
8.
Green, G. (1996).Early behavioral intervention for autism: What does research tell us? In C. Maurice, G. Green, & S. Luce (Eds.), Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals (pp. 29-44). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
9.
Green, G. (2001).Behavior analytic instruction for learners with autism: Advances in stimulus control technology. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 72-85.
10.
Guralnick, M.J. (1998). Effectiveness of early intervention for vulnerable children: A developmental perspective. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 102, 319-345.
11.
Harris, S. L. , Handleman, J. S., Gordon, R., Kristoff, B., & Fuentes, F. (1991). Changes in cognitive and language functioning of preschool children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21, 281-290.
12.
Hart, B. , & Risley, T. R. (1968). Establishing use of descriptive adjectives in the spontaneous speech of disadvantaged preschool children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 109-120.
13.
Hart, B. , & Risley, T. R. (1982). How to use incidental teaching for elaborating language. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
14.
Hart, B. , & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore: Brookes.
15.
Johnson, S. C. , Meyer, L., & Taylor, B. A. (1996). Supported inclusion. In C. Maurice, G. Green, & S. Luce (Eds.), Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals (pp. 331-342). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
16.
Kazdin, A. E. (1982). Single-case research designs. New York: Oxford University Press.
17.
Kazdin, A. E. (1998). Drawing valid inferences from case studies. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Methodological issues and strategies in clinical research (2nd ed., pp. 403-417). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
18.
Klinger, L. G. , & Dawson, G. (1992). Facilitating early social and communicative development in children with autism. In S. F. Warren & J. Reichle (Eds.), Causes and effects in communication and language intervention (pp. 157-186). Baltimore: Brookes.
19.
Koegel, L. K. (1995). Communication and language intervention. In R. L. Koegel & L. K. Koegel (Eds.), Teaching children with autism (pp. 17-32). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
20.
Lord, C. (1997). Diagnostic instruments in autism spectrum disorders. In D. J. Cohen & F. R. Volkmar (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (2nd ed., pp. 460-483). New York: John Wiley.
21.
Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 3-9.
22.
Lovaas, O. I. , Ackerman, A., Alexander, D., Firestone, P., Perkins, M., Young, D. B., Carr, E. G., & Newsom, C. (1981). Teaching developmentally disabled children: The ME book. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
23.
MacDuff, G. S. , Krantz, P. J., & McClannahan, L. E. (2001). Prompts and prompt-fading strategies for people with autism. In C. Maurice, G. Green, & R. M. Foxx (Eds.), Making a difference: Behavioral intervention for autism (pp. 37-50). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
24.
Mars, A. E. , Mauk, J. E., & Dowrick, P. (1998). Symptoms of pervasive developmental disorders as observed in prediagnostic home videos of infants and toddlers. Journal of Pediatrics, 132, 500-504.
25.
Maurice, C. (1993). Let me hear your voice. New York: Knopf.
26.
Maurice, C. , Green, G., & Luce, S. C. (Eds.). (1996). Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
27.
McEachin, J. J. , Smith, T., & Lovaas, O. I. (1993). Long-term outcome for children with autism who received early intensive behavioral treatment. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 4, 359-372.
28.
McGee, G. G. , Morrier, M. J., & Daly, T. (1999). An incidental teaching approach to early intervention for toddlers with autism. Journal of the Association for Persons With Severe Handicaps, 24, 133-146.
29.
Mundy, P. , & Crowson, M. (1997). Joint attention and early social communication: Implications for research on intervention with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 653-676.
30.
Mundy, P. , Sigman, M., & Kasari, C. (1990). A longitudinal study of joint attention and language development in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 20, 115-128.
31.
Osterling, J. , & Dawson, G. (1994). Early recognition of children with autism: A study of first birthday home videotapes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 247-257.
32.
Perry, R. , Cohen, I., & DeCarlo, R. (1995). Case study: Deterioration, autism, and recovery in two siblings. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34, 232-237.
33.
Ramey, C. T. , & Ramey, S. L. (1998). Early intervention and early experience. American Psychologist, 53, 109-120.
34.
Sheinkopf, S. J. , & Siegel, B. (1998). Home-based behavioral treatment of young autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 15-24.
35.
Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the brain: New insights into early development. New York: Families and Work Institute.
36.
Stone, W. L. (1997). Autism in infancy and early childhood. In D. J. Cohen & F. R. Volkmar (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (2nd ed., pp. 266-282). New York: John Wiley.
37.
Taylor, B. A. , & McDonough, K. A. (1996). Selecting teaching programs. In C. Maurice, G. Green, & S. Luce (Eds.), Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals (pp. 63-177). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
38.
Vig, S. , & Jedrysek, E. (1999). Autistic features in young children with significant cognitive impairment: Autism or mental retardation?Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 235-248.
39.
Weiss, M. J. (1999). Differential rates of skill acquisition and outcomes of early intensive behavioral intervention for autism. Behavioral Interventions, 14, 3-22.
