In the present study, a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the efficacy of pivotal response treatment (PRT) on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the question-asking initiations by four children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers also examined whether the implementation…

JASP-EMT, the combined Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) and Joint Attention, Structured Play, and Emotion Regulation (JASPER) interventions, has been found to be effective for promoting social communication in young children with autism (Kasari et al. in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 53(6):635-646, 2014). The current study examined the effects…

Conclusions about the efficacy of tele-therapy for parent-mediated intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are limited, due to the shortage of direct comparisons between tele-therapy and traditional face-to-face therapy. In this study, we implemented a parent training program, which targeted on language facilitating…

In the current study, we describe a study of the Internet-based Parent-implemented Communication Strategies-Storybook (i-PiCSS). I-PiCSS is an intervention program designed to train and coach parents to use evidence-based naturalistic communication teaching (NCT) strategies (i.e., modeling, mand-model, and time delay) and reading techniques while…

In a report of the effectiveness of MEHRIT, a social-interaction-based intervention for autism, Casenhiser et al. ("Autism" 17(2):220-241, 2013) failed to find a significant advantage for language development in the treatment group using standardized language assessments. We present the results from a re-analysis of their results to…

Computerized technologies now offer unprecedented opportunities to provide real-time visual feedback to facilitate children's speech-language development. We employed a mixed-method design to examine the effectiveness of two speech-language interventions aimed at facilitating children's multisyllabic productions: one incorporated a novel…

The purpose of this randomized control group study was to examine the effects of a peer network intervention that included peer mediation and direct instruction for Kindergarten and First-grade children with autism spectrum disorders. Trained school staff members provided direct instruction for 56 children in the intervention group, and 39…

A recent study documented the efficacy of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) delivered in a 1:1 fashion. In the current study we investigated the effectiveness and feasibility of the ESDM in the context of a long-day care community service, with a child-staff ratio of 1:3. Outcomes of 27 preschoolers with ASD undergoing 15-25 h per week of ESDM…

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention package including a discrete trial program (Rapid Motor Imitation Antecedent Training (Tsiouri and Greer, "J Behav Educat" 12:185-206, 2003) combined with parent education for eliciting first words in children with ASD who had little or no spoken language. Evaluation of the approach…

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders is increasing, necessitating the development of efficient treatment models. Research has demonstrated that parent-delivered behavioral interventions are a viable treatment model; however, little research has focused on teaching parents in groups. The aim of this study was to…

A study examined whether teaching English children (ages 4-13) with autism to pass tasks that assess mental state understanding had any positive effects on conversational ability and the use of mental state terms in speech. Results showed that no discernible improvement was seen following mental state teaching. (Author/CR)

Forty-two children (ages 2-15) with autism were randomized in to two groups. One group received 2 IU/kg of intravenous synthetic human secretin at the first visit, followed by a saline placebo at week 6. The other group received treatment in the reverse order. Children showed no differences on assessments. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Preschool children with autism (n=9) and their normally developing peers (n=9) were compared before and after one school year. The autistic children had narrowed the gap after treatment--making a nearly 19-point increase in intelligence quotient and an 8-point gain in language quotient. Results support the value of a language enriched early…