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: Communication/
Carr and Felce, PECS intervention: 15 • Age 3-7 years
VABS score, language:
2007
Country:
UK
Practice
setting:
Academic
Intervention
setting:
School
Enrollment
period:
NR
Funding:
Healthcare
Foundation
(formerly PPP
Foundation)
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Non randomized
controlled trial
Note:
See related study
Carr et al., 2007
({#165})
hours of PECS teaching • Previous diagnosis of developmental age, Child-to-adult total
over 5 weeks; 3-4 PECS autism from a clinical months:
initiations, mean:
teaching days/week with practitioner, verified Daily living skills: G1: 61.4
a total of 1 hour teaching through their classroom G1: 16.5
G2: 10
delivered over 2-3 teachers from the child’s G2: 15.9
G1/BL: P < 0.001
sessions on each PECS Statement of Special Social interaction: G2/BL: P = NS
teaching day
Educational Needs G1: 12.0
G1/G2: P <
Controls had two 2 hour • Attending special G2: 12.5
0.00003
observations separated education classrooms or Composite: Child-to-adult
by a 5 week interval units for autism G1: 14.7
linguistic
without PECS teaching • Received no previous G2: 14.8
initiations, mean:
Assessments:
PECS teaching beyond PLS-3UK develop- G1: 50.8
VABS and PLS-3UK at Phase I (G1)
mental age, months: G2: 1.3
baseline; observation • Within 50 miles from the Receptive: G1/BL: P < 0.001
instrument to record researchers’ base and G1: 7.8
G2/BL: P = NS
communication
child’s school agreed to G2: 8.6
G1/G2: P <
interactions between participate (G1) Expressive: 0.00003
children and teachers • No PECS teaching
G1: 7.4
Adult responses,
6 weeks before, during anytime (G2)
G2: 9.8
mean %:
the week prior and
• Outside the 50 mile limit
Composite: G1: 96.7
during the week
(G2)
G1: 7.7
G2: 76.94
following teaching
Exclusion criteria:
G2: 9.4
G1/BL: P < 0.01
Groups:
Communication/ G2/BL: P = NS
• See Inclusion criteria
G1: PECS
language: G1/G2: P < 0.003
Age, months:
G2: controls
Child-to-adult total Adult-to-child
G1: 65
Provider:
initiations, mean: initiations with
G2: 69
2 researchers trained to
G1: 11.1
opportunity
Mental age:
deliver PECS teaching
G2: 12.6
for child response:
NR
Measure of treatment
Child-to-adult total G1: 44.7
Gender:
fidelity reported:
initiations, 6 weeks G2: 59.5
NR
No
before intervention, G1/BL: P < 0.05
Race/ethnicity:
Co-interventions held
mean:
G2/BL: P = NS
NR
stable during
G1: 9.9
G1/G2: P = NS
SES:
treatment:
Child-to-adult Child response,
Maternal education: NR
NR
linguistic initiations: mean %:
Household income: NR
Concomitant therapies:
G1: 0.7
G1: 66.80
Diagnostic approach:
NR
G2: 2
G2: 58.40
Referral
N at enrollment:
Adult response, G1/BL: P < 0.03
Diagnostic tool/method:
G1: 24
mean %:
G2/BL: P = NS
Previous diagnosis of
G2: 17
G1: 67.10
G1/G2: P < 0.01
autism from a clinical
N at follow-up:
G2: 78.35
Adult-to-child
practitioner
G1: 24
Child-to-adult initiations with no
Diagnostic category, n
G2: 17
linguistic initiations, opportunity
(%):
6 weeks before for child response,
Autism: 41 (100)
intervention, mean: mean:
PDD-NOS: NR
G1: 0.4
G1: 13.3
Aspergers: NR
G2: 21.1
Other characteristics:
G1/BL: P < 0.005
NR
G2/BL: P = NS
G1/G2: P =
0.0495
Carr and Felce,
Adult response, Harms:
2007 (continued)
mean %:
NR
G1: 76.30
Modifiers:
Adult-to-child NR
C-194