Abstract
We retrospectively compared 2 groups of children receiving either behavioral treatment (n=13) or eclectic treatment (n=15) for an average of 12 hours per week. Children were assessed on intelligence, language, adaptive functioning and maladaptive behavior at pretreatment and 2 years into treatment. The groups did not differ significantly at pretreatment. After 2 years of treatment, the behavioral group made larger gains than the eclectic group in most areas. However, gains were more modest than those reported in previous studies with children receiving more intensive behavioral treatment, and it is questionable whether they were clinically significant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson S. R., Avery D. L., DiPietro E. K., Edwards G. L., et al. (1987). Intensive home-based early intervention with autistic children Education & Treatment of Children: Special Issue: New developments in the treatment of persons exhibiting autism and severe behavior disorders 10(4): 352–366
Autism National Committee (1995). Lovaas throws caution to the winds The Communicator 6 (Fall)
Bayley N., (1993). Bayley scales of infant development (2 ed.). The Psychological Cooperation San Antonio
Bibby P., Eikeseth S., Martin N. T., Mudford O. C., Reeves D., (2002). “Progress and outcomes for children with autism receiving parent-managed intensive interventions”: Erratum Research in Developmental Disabilities 23(1): 79–104
Birnbrauer J. S., Leach D. J., (1993). The Murdoch early intervention program after 2 years Behaviour Change 10(2): 63–74
Bondy A., Frost L., (2003). Communication strategies for visual learners. In: Lovaas O. I., (Ed.), Teaching individuals with developmental delays; basic intervention techniques. Austin, Texas: Pro-ed. pp. 291–304
Carr E. G., (1981). Sign language In I. Lovaas, (Ed.), Teaching developmentally disabled Children University Park Press Baltimore (pp. 153–161)
Cohen J., (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2 ed.). Lawrence Earlbaum Associates Hillsdale, New Jersey
Eikeseth S., Smith T., Jahr E., Eldevik S., (2002). Intensive behavioral treatment at school for 4- to 7-year-old children with autism: A 1-year comparison controlled study Behavior Modification 26(1): 49–68
Frost L. A., Bondy A. S., (1994). The picture exchange communication system Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. Newark, DE
Green, G. (1996). Early behavioral intervention for autism: What does research tell us? In Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals (pp. 29–44). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc
Guralnick M. J., (1998). Effectiveness of early intervention for vulnerable children: A developmental perspective American Journal on Mental Retardation 102(4): 319–345
Harris S. L., Handleman J. S., (2000). Age and IQ at intake as predictors of placement for young children with autism: A four- to six-year follow-up Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 30(2): 137–142
Harris S. L., Handleman J. S., Gordon R., Kristoff B., et al. (1991). Changes in cognitive and language functioning of preschool children with autism Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 21(3): 281–290
Lord C., Rutter M., Le Couteur A., (1994). Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 24(5): 659–685
Lovaas, O. I. (1981). Teaching developmentally disabled children: The me book/ by O. Ivar Lovaas, with Andrea Ackerman ... [et al.] and with contributions by Edward G. Carr and Crighton Newsom. Baltimore: University Park Press
Lovaas O. I., (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology 55(1): 3–9
Lovaas, O. I., & Smith, T. (1988). Intensive behavioral treatment for young autistic children. In Advances in clinical child psychology, Vol. 11 (pp. 285–324). New York, NY: Plenum Press
Lovaas O. I., Smith T., (1989). A comprehensive behavioral theory of autistic children: Paradigm for research and treatment Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry 20(1): 17–29
Maurice, C., Green, G., & Luce S. C. (Eds). (1996). Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals. Pro-Ed, Inc. Austin, TX
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 97(4): 359–372
Newsom, C., & Hovanitz, C. A. (1997). Autistic disorder. In Assessment of childhood disorders (3rd ed., pp. 408–452). New York, NY: The Guilford Press
Reynell J. K., (1990). Reynell developmental language scales Nfer-Nelson Windsor
Sattler, J. M. (1992). Assessment of children (3rd ed.). San Diego
Schopler E., Lansing M., Waters L., (1983). Individualized assessment and treatment for autistic and developmentally disabled children: Vol. 3. Teaching activities for autistic children. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc
Schopler E., Reichler R., Bashford A., Lansing M., Marcus L., (1990). Psycho-educational profile-revised Pro-Ed. Austin, Texas
Sheinkopf S. J., Siegel B., (1998). Home based behavioral treatment of young children with autism Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 28(1): 15–23
Sigman, M., & Kim, N. (1999). Continuity and change in the development of children with autism. In The changing nervous system: Neurobehavioral consequences of early brain disorders (pp. 274–291). New York, NY, US: Oxford University Press
Smith T., Donahoe P. A., Davis B. J., (2001). The UCLA Young Autism Project. In: Handleman J. S., Harris S. L., (Eds.), Preschool education programs for children with autism (2 ed.). Austin, Texas: PEO-ED
Smith T., Eikeseth S., Klevstrand M., Lovaas O. I., (1997). Intensive behavioral treatment for preschoolers with severe mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorder American Journal on Mental Retardation 102(3): 238–249
Smith T., Groen A. D., Wynn J. W., (2000). Randomized trial of intensive early intervention for children with pervasive developmental disorder American Journal of Mental Retardation 105(4): 269–285
Smith T., Lovaas O. I., (1998). Intensive and early behavioral intervention with autism: The UCLA Young Autism Project Infants and Young Children 10(3): 67–78
Sparrow S. S., Balla D. A., Cicchetti D. V., (1984). Vineland adaptive behavior scales American Guidance Service Minnesota
Stutsman R., (1948). Guide for administering the Merrill–Palmer scale of mental tests Harcourt, Brace & World New York
Thorndike R. L., Hagen E. R., Sattler J. M., (1986). The Stanford–Binet intelligence scale (4 ed.). Riverside Chicago
Wechsler D., (1974). The Wechsler intelligence test for children-revised. Psychological Corporation San Antonio, TX
Wechsler D., (1989). Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-revised Psychological Corporation San Antonio, TX
Weiss M. J., (1999). Differential rates of skill acquisition and outcomes of early intensive behavioral intervention for autism Behavioral Interventions 14(1): 3–22
World Health Organization (1993). ICD-10, the ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: diagnostic criteria for research World Health Organization Geneva
Acknowledgements
This research was supported in part by grants from the Akershus University Hospital, the Helge Morset Fond, Norway; the Norwegian Research Institute for Children with Developmental Disabilities (NFBU); and the Norwegian Red Cross and Stiftelsen SOR. The authors would like to thank Dag Erik Eilertsen for his advice regarding design and in conducting the statistical analysis. Parts of this paper was presented at the 28th annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Toronto, Canada, May 2002, and at the inaugural Conference for the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability, Dublin, Ireland, June 2002.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eldevik, S., Eikeseth, S., Jahr, E. et al. Effects of Low-Intensity Behavioral Treatment for Children with Autism and Mental Retardation. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 211–224 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0058-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0058-x