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Behavioural early interventions for children with autism or intellectual disabilities

Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of early behavioural \nintervention for children with autism. A review of the literature identified nine \n3 \ncontrolled studies that met criteria for inclusion. The results of the analysiS yielded an \naverage effect size of1.1 0 for gain in 10, and .66 for adaptive behaviour gains. These \neffect sizes would generally be considered as large and moderate, respectively. \nFollowing on this an individual participant data meta-analysis was done. Here, \nparticipants from 16 studies were divided into three groups depending on the type of \nintervention they had received; 309 children had received behavioural intervention, \n39 comparison interventions, and 105 were in a control group. Results showed that \nmore children receiving behavioural intervention achieved reliable change in 10, and \nadaptive behaviour. This equated to a Number Needed to Treat of 5 for 10 and 7 for \nadaptive behaviour. Regression analysis showed of this larger sample showed that \n10 and adaptive behaviour at intake predicted gains in adaptive behaviour and that \nintensity of intervention predicted gains in both 10 and adaptive behaviour. Next, I \nevaluated the utility of behavioural intervention implemented in local mainstream preschools. \nOutcome, particularly on 10, appeared satisfactory when compared against \nsuggested benchmarks, even though it proved difficult to achieve the recommended \nintensity of intervention. Finally, I evaluated if behavioural intervention could benefit \nchildren with intellectual disabilities. A group of children (n=11) with intellectual \ndisabilities received approximately 10 hours per week of behavioural intervention and \nanother group (n=14) received treatment as usual. After one year, changes in \nintelligence and adaptive behaviour were significantly in favour of the behavioural \nintervention group. In general my 1 results support the clinical implication that at \npresent behavioural intervention should be the intervention of choice for children with \nautism, and also appears promising for children with intellectual disabilities.
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1862250214
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