EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENTS FOR YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Describes treatment of autism, a severe, chronic developmental disorde r that results in significant lifelong disability for most persons, wi th few persons ever functioning in an independent and typical lifestyl e. Within the past decade, a number of studies have reported significa nt changes in the outcomes of very young children with autism followin g intensive comprehensive treatment. The criteria for empirically supp orted treatments, as described by Lonigan, Elbert, and Johnson (this i ssue), were applied to reports of eight treatment efficacy studies pub lished in peer-reviewed journals. Whereas positive outcomes are report ed in every case, the field does not yet have a treatment that meets t he present criteria for well-established or probably efficacious treat ment. Hypothesized variables affecting outcomes that need to be rigoro usly tested include age at start of treatment, type of treatment used, intensity of treatment, and IQ and language levels at the start of tr eatment.