Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD
Study
Inclusion/Exclusion Baseline
Description Intervention
Criteria/Population Measures Outcomes
Author:
Intervention:
Inclusion criteria: Overall ratings: Overall ratings:
Perry et al., Ontario IBI, 20 to 40 • entry assessment within CARS, n, mean ± CARS, n, mean ±
2008
hours a week throughout 3 months of entry SD:
SD:
Country:
Canada
Practice
setting:
Academic
the year in a variety of • another assessment G1: 275, 36.09 ±
settings (home, center, (usually at exit) 5.09
and integrated child care) • diagnosis of autism or a G1a: 68, 33.48 ±
using structured
disorder toward the 4.35
behavioral teaching based severe end of the autism G1b: 105, 35.71 ±
on the principles of spectrum
4.43
applied behavior analysis
G1c: 79, 38.91 ±
G1: 275, 31.26 ±
5.31
P < 0.001
G1a: 68, 26.99 ±
4.93
P < 0.001
G1b: 105, 31.62 ±
Intervention
setting: home,
duration ranged from 4 to Exclusion criteria:
47 months (mean 18 • see inclusion criteria
months)
5.37
CARS symptom
4.14
P < 0.001
G1c: 79, 34.85 ±
clinic, or child care
center
Enrollment
Age, mean/yrs (range in
months):
4.5 (20-86)
severity, n:
Not quite autism
range: 24
4.61
P < 0.001
main effect of
time: P < 0.001
period:
Mild/moderate reported
NR
autism range: 145 reductions (P <
Program data:
0.001) on each
2000-2006
Severe autism individual items of
range: 106 the CARS (with
the exception of
item XIV (P =
0.055))
Funding:
Ontario Ministry of
Children and
Youth Services
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Retrospective
case series
Assessments:
CARS, VABS, and
cognitive (most commonly
used: MSEL, BSID,
WPPSI, SB-FE) “typically
conducted by assessment
staff of the central
agency”(p.627). Seven
categories of
progress/outcomes were
generated based on all
available information
including developmental
rates, VABS ABC,
cognitive standard scores,
and CARS.
Groups:
G1: IBI
G1a: higher functioning
(VABS ABC ≥ 60)
G1b: intermediate
functioning (VABS ABC
between 50 and 59)
G1c: lower functioning
(VABS ABC ≤ 49)
Provider:
Instructor-therapists
(virtually all had a college
or university level
education and all received
same initial IBI training)
who were supervised by
Senior Therapists (had a
Master’s degree and/or
were Board Certified
Behavior Analysts)
Measure of treatment
fidelity reported:
No
Mental age, n,
mean/months ± SD
(range):
(Combined scores from
MSEL, BSID, WPPSI, and
SB:FE)
G1: 151, 22.92 ± 10.96 (3-
60)
G1a: 44, 28.24 ± 11.46
G1b: 66, 21.51 ± 10.61
G1c: 33, 17.64 ± 6.84
P < 0.001
Gender, n (%):
M: 276 (83)
F: 56 (17)
Race/ethnicity, n (%):
NR
SES:
Maternal education: NR
Household income: NR
Diagnostic approach:
In Study
Diagnostic tool/method:
DSM-IV
Diagnostic category, n
(%):
Autism 194 (58)
PDD-NOS 46 (14)
ASD/PDD 92 (28)
Other characteristics:
NR
C-163
VABS/ABC, n, mean
age equivalent ±
SD:
G1: 279, 16.81 ±
6.46
G1a: 72, 21.80 ±
7.96
G1b: 115, 16.16 ±
5.25
G1c: 9, 13.73 ± 3.73
VABS/ABC, n, mean
standard score ±
SD:
G1: 274, 54.77 ±
9.24
G1a: 70, 66.90 ±
6.76
G1b: 116, 54.55 ±
3.00
G1c: 86, 45.65 ±
3.30
CARS symptom
severity changes,
n (%):
Non-autism
remained nonautism:
19 (79)
Non-autism to
mild/moderate: 5
(21)
Mild moderate to
non-autism: 59
(41)
Mild/moderate
remained
mild/moderate: 76
(52)
Mild/moderate to
severe: 10 (7)
Severe to nonautism:
16 (15)
Severe to
mild/moderate: 63
(59)
Severe remained
severe: 27 (26)
Children initially
scoring in autism
range changed to
milder category:
138 (50)