Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD (continued)
Study
Description Intervention
Author:
Intervention:
Silva et al., 2009
Country:
US
Practice
setting:
Academic
Intervention
setting:
School/home
Enrollment
period:
NR
Funding:
Curry Stone
Foundation
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
RCT
Note:
See related
papers Silva et al.,
Qigong massage treatment
(trainers met with
families for 20 visits over
5 months, at each visit
child receives qigong
massage treatment from
the therapist and parents
receive training and
support in the followthrough
massage given
daily by parent to child)
Assessments:
PDDBI (questionnaire
filled out by parents and
teachers), ABC (questionnaire
filled out by
teacher), Sense and Selfregulation
Checklist
(parent questionnaire
developed by authors)
and VABS-II (parents
completed selected
portions) administered
before intervention,
Inclusion/ Exclusion
Criteria/ Population
Inclusion criteria:
• Age < 6 years
• Eligible for early intervention
services for
autism
Exclusion criteria:
• Complicating medical
diagnoses or chronic
medication
Age, months ± SD
(range):
G1: 65.2 ± 20.7 (25-117)
G2: 53.3 ± 18.7 (27-92)
Mental age:
NR
Gender, n:
Male:
G1: 19
G2: 18
Female:
G1: 6
G2: 3
Race/ethnicity:
NR
SES:
C-99
Baseline
Measures Outcomes
between groups.
No significant age
difference was
observed with
either parental or
physician CGI
scale.
Autism severity:
Children in G1
with baseline
ADOS below the
50th percentile
showed improvement
in ABC
irritability (P =
0.03) and stereotypy
(P = 0.04),
and ATEC socialbility
(P = 0.03).
For children
above the 50 th
percentile, there
was no significant
difference
between groups.
No significant
autism severity
difference was
observed with
either parental or
physician CGI
scale
Overall ratings:
ABC score, mean ±
SD:
G1: 48.5 ± 20.8
G2: 64.3 ± 33.8
G1/G2: P = NS
PDDBI autism
composite score,
mean ± SD:
Teacher-rated:
G1: NR
G2: NR
G1/G2: P = NS
Parent-rated:
G1: 49.3 ± 11.7
G2: NR
G1/G2: P < 0.05*
Communication/
language:
PDDBI receptive/
expressive social
communication
abilities composite
score, mean ± SD:
Teacher-rated:
Overall ratings:
Overall treatment
effect:
Teacher-rated:
MANCOVA:**
treatment (P =
0.019; partial ɳ 2 =
0.316)
Parent-rated:
MANCOVA:**
treatment (P =
0.029; partial ɳ 2 =
0.412)
ABC score, mean
± SD:
G1: 33.9 ± 18.6
G2: 59.4 ± 35.4
G1/BL: P < 0.00
G2/BL: P = NS
ANCOVA:** treatment
(P < 0.003;
partial ɳ 2 = 0.237)
PDDBI autism
composite score,