Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD (continued)
Study
Description Intervention
Author:
Osborne et al.,
2008
Country:
UK
Practice
setting:
Academic
Intervention
setting:
Home, school
Enrollment
period:
2003 to 2005
Funding:
South East
Regional Special
Education Needs
Partnership
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Prospective cohort
Intervention:
Teaching interventions:
reinforcement (ABA-like
with 1:1 in-home
antecedent-behaviorconseuquence
discrete
trial training, with
reinforcement), nursery
(classes of 6-8 children
with postgrad-trained
teacher, plus 2-3 learning
support assistants; some
TEACCH methodology),
speech/language, and
parent training (on what is
ASD and how to manage
behaviors)
Intervention types, n (%):
Reinforcement: 49 (75)
Nursery: 36 (55)
Speech/language: 31 (48)
Parent training: 11 (17)
Reinforcement: 49 (75)
Nursery: 36 (55)
Number of interventions,
n (%):
1: 21 (32)
2: 27 (42)
3: 16 (25)
4: 1 (1)
Hours of intervention by
type, mean ± SD (range):*
Reinforcement: 13.5 ±
10.7 (1-35)
Nursery: 8.1 ± 5.5 (1-23)
Speech/language: 1.2 ±
0.7 (1-3)
Parent training: 4.2 ± 2.3
(1-10)
Total intervention hours/
week: mean ± SD (range):
15.6 ± 9.2 (2-40)
Groups:
G1: low intensity (< 15.6
hours/week) intervention
G2: high intensity (> 15.6
Inclusion/ Exclusion
Criteria/ Population
Inclusion criteria:
• Age 2.6-4.0 years
• At the start of their first
teaching intervention
• Independent prior ASD
diagnosis from specialist
pediatrician
• Initial referral from a
general medical
practitioner
• Statement of special
education needs related
to ASD from local
education authorities
Exclusion criteria:
• See inclusion criteria
Age, years (range):
NR (2.6-4.0)
Mental age:
See developmental age in
baseline measures
Gender, n (%):
Male: 59 (90.1)
Female: 6 (9.9)
Race/ethnicity:
NR
SES:
Maternal education, %:
Secondary (16 yrs): 8
Tertiary (18 yrs): 33
Degree: 59
Postgraduate: 0
Paternal education, %:
Secondary (16 yrs): 17
Tertiary (18 yrs): 17
Degree: 33
Postgraduate: 33
Maternal occupation, %:
Unskilled/laborer: 33
Skilled/technical: 8
Managerial: 8
Unemployed/career
houseworker: 50
Paternal occupation, %:
Unskilled/laborer: 8
Skilled/technical: 17
C-158
Baseline
Measures Outcomes
Modifiers:
No significant
difference in rate of
favorable response
by type of stimulant
used.
No association
between type of
stimulant used and
occurrence of side
effects
Overall ratings:
GARS score, mean
± SD:
G1a: 90.7 ± 19.8
G1b: 95.8 ± 11.8
G2a: 90.7 ± 13.7
G2b: 90.6 ± 19.0
G1a/G1b/G2a/G2b:
P = NS
Adaptive behavior:
VABS score, mean
± SD:
G1a: 55.6 ± 4.7
G1b: 56.6 ± 6.2
G2a: 57.0 ± 6.6
G2b: 58.6 ± 11.0
G1a/G1b/G2a/G2b:
P = NS
VABS developmental
age, months
± SD:
G1a: 18.1 ± 3.6
G1b: 17.4 ± 6.7
G2a: 18.1 ± 5.4
G2b: 20.7 ± 13.6
G1a/G1b/G2a/G2b:
P = NS
Educational/
cognitive/
academic
attainment:
PEP-R score, mean
± SD:
G1a: 51.3 ± 11.9
G1b: 53.7 ± 22.1
G2a: 54.0 ± 12.2
G2b: 57.2 ± 20.2
G1a/G1b/G2a/G2b:
P = NS
PEP-R developmental
age, months
± SD:
G1a: 21.7 ± 6.3
G1b: 21.9 ± 11.8
G2a: 21.9 ± 6.0
G2b: 25.2 ± 16.1
Adaptive
behavior:
VABS score, 9-10
months, mean
change ± SD:
G1a: NR**
G1b: NR**
G2a: NR**
G2b: NR**
G1a/G1b: P = NS
G2a/G2b: P <
0.05
G1a/G2a: P <
0.05
G1b/G2b: P = NS
VABS developmental
age, 9-10
months, months ±
SD:
G1a: NR**
G1b: NR**
G2a: NR**
G2b: NR**
G1a/G1b: P = NS
G2a/G2b: P = NS
G1a/G2a: P = NS
G1b/G2b: P = NS
Educational/
cognitive/
academic
attainment:
PEP-R score, 9-
10 months, mean
change ± SD:
G1a: NR**
G1b: NR**
G2a: NR**
G2b: NR**
G1a/G1b: P = NS
G2a/G2b: P = NS
G1a/G2a: P <
0.05
G1b/G2b: P = NS