Differential rates of skill acquisition and outcomes of early intensive behavioral intervention for autism

Intensive behavioral intervention for very young children with autism has r eceived increased attention in recent years. Researchers have documented un precedented success in educating some young children with autism, although not every child makes dramatic developmental gains. It might be useful to i dentify early in treatment those children who will benefit most from the cu rrent methodology and who might require slight variations in instructional format or curricular focus. The present study suggests that initial learnin g rates are moderately correlated with treatment outcomes after two years. Among 20 children receiving early, intensive behavioral intervention, initi al acquisition of skills was correlated with later learning rates, severity of autism symptomatology and adaptive behavior profiles two years into tre atment. Implications are discussed, especially in light of the universal ne ed for intensive intervention in this population. Copyright (C) 1999 John W iley & Sons, Ltd.