Low intensity behavioral treatment supplementing preschool services for young children with autism spectrum disorders and severe to mild intellectual disability

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities 2010-11, Vol.31 (6), p.1678-1684
• Main Authors: Peters-Scheffer, Nienke, Didden, Robert, Mulders, Monique, Korzilius, Hubert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adjustment (to Environment); Autism; Autism spectrum disorders; Autistic children; Behavior Modification; Behavior Therapy - methods; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Behaviour therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - therapy; Child Development; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - therapy; Child, Preschool; Children; Comparative Analysis; Early Intervention; Education, Special - methods; Emotional Disturbances; Humans; Intellectual disability; Intellectual Disability - therapy; Learning disabilities; Low intensity behavioral treatment; Medical sciences; Mild Mental Retardation; Moderate Mental Retardation; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Preschool services; Preschools; Program Effectiveness; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severe Mental Retardation; Severity (of Disability); Severity of Illness Index; Social Behavior; Symptoms; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Treatments; Young Children
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2010.04.008

This study evaluated the effectiveness of low intensity behavioral treatment (on average 6.5h per week) supplementing preschool services in 3–6-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder and severe to mild intellectual disability. Treatment was implemented in preschools (i.e., daycare centers) and a discrete trial teaching approach was used. Twelve children in the treatment group were compared to 22 children receiving regular intervention. At pre-treatment, both groups did not differ on chronological age, developmental age, diagnosis and level of adaptive skills. Eight months into treatment, children receiving behavioral treatment displayed significantly higher developmental ages and made more gains in adaptive skills than children from the control group. No significant differences between groups were found on autistic symptom severity and emotional and behavioral problems.