Thursday, January 13, 2011

Reccommended Models for Young Children with Autism

Recommended interventions:


ABA: Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of behavior. Applied Behavior Analysis is the application of the principles of learning and motivation from Behavior Analysis, and the procedures and technology derived from those principles, to the solution of problems of social significance. Many decades of research have validated treatments based on ABA.
http://www.centerforautism.com/getting_started/aba.asp ~ http://www.abainternational.org/

The Denver Model
Also known as the Early Start Denver Model is a well researched combination of behavioral and developmental therapy. It has produced very good results with children who’s IQ is as low as 35 (the lowest or one of the lowest of any of the well researched established models providing excellent outcomes).
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/esdm/ ~ http://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/d_200911_ESDM.pdf

DIR®/Floortime™ The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based The objectives of the DIR®/Floortime™ Model are to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities rather than focusing on skills and isolated behaviors. http://www.icdl.com/dirFloortime/overview/index.shtml

The P.L.A.Y. Project® is (an) … early intervention program dedicated to empowering parents and professionals to implement intensive, developmental interventions for young children with autism in the most effective and efficient way.
http://www.playproject.org/

PRT: Pivotal Response Treatment … Pivotal Response Teaching, and Pivotal Response Training, PRT focuses on targeting “pivotal” behavioral and skill areas.
http://education.ucsb.edu/autism/ http://www.autismnetwork.org/modules/behavior/pri/index.html http://www.blogger.com/goog_1943166904

TEACCH: Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children
The foundation of this structured teaching intervention is the modification of the environment to assist the child in the learning process. The focus of this intervention is on organizing the child’s physical environment to facilitate overall task success, capitalizing on visual strengths typically displayed by students with ASD and minimizing reliance on auditory processing/verbal expression. http://www.teacch.com/

If your child is functioning close to 50% of chronological age or above or above a 35 IQ, you should see significant gain in both skills (BI) on the SIB-R AND improvements in behavior (GMI) on the SIB-R. Most children should make significant improvements in behavior.

When you interview potential providers, ask these questions.

1) How have they as an agency, and how have the individual therapists/specialists who will be working with your child, gained specific expertise/certification in the above intervention you have chosen?

2) What is the average (12 month) improvement in BI and GMI for a child (age 3-6) with autism, using their agency and the above intervention? You may also further ask what the average improvement is for children whose functioning level is above 50% and the average improvement for children whose functioning level is below 50%.

No matter which intervention you choose, best practice for best outcomes will include close collaboration with a Speech Therapist (SLP) and very possibly other therapists. This close collaboration should assure that all of the intervention for your child is closely aligned, and that everyone is supporting other interventions received by your child.  Parental involvement is essential in any of these interventions.

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