Saturday, February 26, 2011

Music as a part of intervention

Music can play a vital role in intervention for many children and adults. Music can help with stress reduction and as a cue to assist with transitions.


Please read #10 on the following page for additional information

http://responsiblepracticalparenting.blogspot.com/2010/08/stress-helping-your-children-and-you.html



Music, like many things is individualized. While there are general “rules of thumb” regarding what kind of music is most helpful, it is still individualized both to the person and to the situation. It always irritates me when people search the web for canned objectives and come across this website, expecting they will find an objective they can just plug into a plan for a particular child. It has to be individualized to the specific child and situation or it simply won't be very effective. It is the same with music and it is the same with intervention in general. What will work for a high functioning young child with autism is not the same as best practice for an older child with lower functioning autism.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Communication and Joint Attention

• Joint attention is absolutely critical for the development of language


Joint Attention

• One of the, if not THE, most pivotal skill for children with Autism.

• ALL of the Best Practice, Evidence Based interventions, for young children with Autism now incorporate, train, coach, teach, and reinforce, this pivotal skill.


Supplemental information:

How to Improve Joint Attention Skills in Young Children with Autism

Joint Attention: one of, if not the most critical skills for communication and any significant improvement in autism

Joint Attention

aka
Shared Attention


To continue with this information click here.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Comprehensive synthesis of early intensive behavioral interventions for young children with autism based on the UCLA young autism project model. 2008

“Abstract




A 3-part comprehensive synthesis of the early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism based on the University of California at Los Angeles Young Autism Project method (Lovaas in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 3-9, 1987) is presented. The three components of the synthesis were: (a) descriptive analyses, (b) effect size analyses, and (c) a meta-analysis. The findings suggest EIBI is an effective treatment, on average, for children with autism. The conditions under which this finding applies and the limitations and cautions that must be taken when interpreting the results are discussed within the contextual findings of the moderator analyses conducted in the meta-analysis.”







“Recently, the Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism of the National Research Council (NRC) reviewed ten comprehensive intervention programs for young children with autism (Lord et al. 2001). Some of these programs were based on applied behavior analysis, which is a method that has been used to treat children with autism for many years. Recent survey data suggest interventions based on applied behavior analysis are some of the most frequently used interventions in autism…



Many of the programs had supporting empirical evidence, but the NRC did not recommend a single program and cited a need for more research on them (Lord et al. 2001). Instead consensus guidelines were listed stating children with autism should receive a comprehensive intervention program beginning as soon as they are diagnosed. The program should (a.) address the individual’s unique deficit areas, (b) use low teacher to student ratios, (c) include a family component, (d) be provided for at least 20-25 h per week, and (e) conduct ongoing assessment and revision of intervention goals and objectives (Lord et al.). Similar guidelines have been recommended by others (Dawson and Osterling 1979; Iovannone et al. 2003; Bolkmar et al. 1999) and are generally consistent with recommended practices in early intervention (Sandall et al. 2005).”



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18535894