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Educational Interventions for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Book cover Comprehensive Guide to Autism

Abstract

Since the 1960s and until today, a number of educational intervention programs for children with ASD have been developed. Our review identified seven interventions that can be considered comprehensive, that is, addressing the core behavioral excesses and deficits exhibited by children with ASD. These were (1) Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), (2) Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT), (3) FloorTime, (4) Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI), (5) Pivotal Response Training (PRT), (6) Relationship Development Intervention Program (RDI), and (7) the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). A literature review identified a lack of outcome research evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions. Also, for the outcome studies that have been conducted, the scientific quality varied greatly, and scientific quality needs to be taken into account when considering treatment efficacy. Results of the literature review show that Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is by far the best researched and best documented intervention for children with ASD. Several studies have demonstrated that EIBI may produce significant increases on standard scores in both intellectual functioning and adaptive functioning, as well as reductions in autistic symptoms and aberrant behaviors. Another recent comprehensive intervention, the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), carries considerable promise. However, until now, only one outcome study evaluating ESDM has been published. Hence, to date, EIBI is the only comprehensive educational intervention that can be considered evidence based for children with ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College, Pob. 4 St. Olavs plass, 0130, Oslo, Norway

    Svein Eikeseth & Lars Klintwall

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  1. Svein Eikeseth
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  2. Lars Klintwall
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Correspondence to Svein Eikeseth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, Faculty of Science & Technology, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Nutritional Sciences Division and Genomics Centre, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Faculty of Society and Health, Buckinghamshire New University, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Colin R. Martin

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Eikeseth, S., Klintwall, L. (2014). Educational Interventions for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V., Martin, C. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Autism. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_128

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_128

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