Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD (continued)
Study
Inclusion/ Exclusion Baseline
Description Intervention
Criteria/ Population Measures Outcomes
**Gains in risperidone group maintained for 6 month extension phase in 23 of 34 children (68%) with positive responses during
RCT. Of the other 11 responders, 4 did not enter extension phase. 2 children’s parents decided to seek other treatment in addition
to risperidone, 4 were withdrawn because treatment was no longer effective, and 1 was withdrawn due to an unrelated medical
problem.‡
Author:
Anan et al., 2008
Country:
US
Practice
setting:
Private practice
Intervention
setting:
Clinic and home
Enrollment
period:
NR
Funding:
NR
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Prospective case
series
Intervention:
Group Intensive Family
Training (GIFT); 12 hour
didactic weekend followed
by a 12 week (180 hour, 3
hours each weekday) of
parent training in EIBI
Groups:
G1: intervention group
Assessments:
Prior to treatment, skill
strengths and deficits
were evaluated; informal
preference assessments
conducted to identify
effective reinforcers for
acquisition of new skills;
problem behaviors
MSEL, VABS
Provider:
Parents trained by a
board-certified behavior
analyst and 4 staff
members with experience
implementing behavior
analytic training
Measure of treatment
fidelity reported:
No
Co-interventions held
stable during treatment:
NR
Concomitant therapies:
NR
N at enrollment:
G1: 81
N at follow-up:
G1: 72
Inclusion criteria:
• Children diagnosed with
ASD using the DSM-IV
criteria by experienced
physicians and/or clinical
psychologists in the
community
• Significant impairment
relative to chronological
age (e.g., score on
measures of cognitive
and/or adaptive
functioning more than
2 SD below the mean)
Exclusion criteria:
• See inclusion criteria
Age, months ± SD
(range):
44 ± 12.6 (25-68)
Mental age: NR
Gender, %:
Male: 84.7
Female: 15.3
Race/ethnicity:
NR
SES:
Parent/caregiver years of
post-high school education,
mean: 3
Household income: NR
Diagnostic approach:
Referral
Diagnostic tool/method:
DSMIV clinical interview
Diagnostic category, n
(%):
Autism: 72 (100)
Other characteristics:
NR
C-133
Overall ratings:
MSEL composite
score, mean ± SD:
G1: 51.69 ± 6.27
MSEL visual
reception score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 60.10 ± 11.84
VABS composite
score, mean ± SD:
G1: 53.11 ± 7.39
Social skills:
VABS socialization:
score, mean ± SD:
G1: 56.17 ± 5.29
Communication/
language:
MSEL receptive
language score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 56.58 ± 5.62
MSEL expressive
language score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 56.31 ± 5.24
VABS communication
score, mean
± SD:
G1: 54.61 ± 8.35
Adaptive behavior:
VABS daily living
skills score, mean ±
SD:
G1: 57.59 ± 7.96
Motor skills:
MSEL fine motor
score, mean ± SD:
G1: 57.35 ± 7.59
VABS motor skills
score, mean ± SD:
G1: 62.74 ± 13.50
Educational/
cognitive/
academic
attainment:
MSEL developmental
age, months
± SD:
Composite:
G1: 16.99 ± 5.64
Overall ratings:
MSEL composite
score, mean ±
SD:
G1: 59.65 ± 16.58
G1/BL: P < 0.001
MSEL composite
score ≥ 70, n (%):
G1: 10 (14)
MSEL visual
reception score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 70.99 ± 23.00
G1/BL: P < 0.001
VABS composite
score, mean ±
SD:
G1: 58.27 ± 9.59
G1/BL: P < 0.001
VABS composite
score ≥ 70, n (%):
G1: 8 (11)
Social skills:
VABS socialization:
score, mean
± SD:
G1: 61.54 ± 8.39
G1/BL: P < 0.001
Communication/
language:
MSEL receptive
language score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 63.94 ± 20.86
G1/BL: P < 0.001
MSEL expressive
language score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 63.81 ± 19.40
G1/BL: P < 0.001
VABS communication
score,
mean ± SD:
G1: 60.09 ± 12.19
G1/BL: P < 0.001
Adaptive
behavior:
VABS daily living
skills score, mean
± SD:
G1: 59.70 ± 8.65
G1/BL: P < 0.01