Treatment of autism is complicated by the wide range of individual differences among children with the disorder. As a result, effective intervention is difficult. Despite these difficulties, different types of early intensive interventions have been found to lead to significant gains in cognitive, social and language functioning for children with autism. For instance, early intensive Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) intervention – an approach to understand, assess and change behaviours and to teach new skills using a variety of methods based on individual needs – have led, in some children, to increased levels of educational and intellectual functioning. However, age and IQ of the children receiving ABA seem to affect their outcomes greatly. Other types of early intervention, which provide to preschool children with autism visual cues and structure that they find difficult to generate themselves, have also been associated with increased levels of social functioning in some of them.
Early intervention for children in inclusive school settings has been shown to help improve specific social skills. For instance, ABA teaching methods help children with autism learn how to initiate and respond to other children. These methods also teach children specific play skills and other behaviours to help them interact with their peers. Other specific instructional methods that are beneficial for learning social behaviours include pivotal response training (teach key behaviours); script-fading (follow a written, auditory or pictorial script); and time delay (wait before offering a response to the child).
It is possible to isolate some important elements of intervention programs for autistic preschoolers. These include
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development of communication skills (verbal or non-verbal)
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joint engagement and joint social activities
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promotion of emotional engagement and regulation
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help for parents to manage behavioural problems
Parents play a pivotal role in the outcomes of early intervention and researchers are beginning to identify parent characteristics or skills that could help a child’s progress. Parent education can serve as a way to relieve stress and empower parents, which could help enhance the impact of early intervention. Parental sensitivity – following the child’s focus of attention – has also been identified as influential.
A vital social policy issue is to develop training programs to help more impaired children with autism to transition into adaptive adult roles in society. Early intervention is cost-effective relative to the cost of autism to individuals, families and society when early treatment is not received. Policy-makers should support early identification and treatment to minimize the negative consequences of late diagnosis. To increase the potential for positive developmental and social progress in children with autism, researchers should focus on improving methods for the reliable identification of autism and on understanding what form of treatment is most effective for the type of child, the developmental stage and the outcomes. Moreover, research needs to address the possible causes of this disorder such as genetic transmission and brain development.
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