Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD
Study
Inclusion/Exclusion
Description Intervention
Criteria/Population
Nagaraj et al.,
Seizures:
2006 (continued)
G1: 5 (26.3)
G2: 3 (15)
Family structure, n (%):
Nuclear:
G1: 13 (68.4)
G2: 15 (75)
Joint:
G1: 6 (31.6)
G2: 5 (25)
Comments: *(orolingual=2, left lower limb=1)
Author:
Sams et al., 2006
Country:
US
Practice
setting:
Special treatment
center, community
college, hospital
Intervention
setting:
School
Enrollment
period:
NR
Funding:
NR
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Prospective case
series
Intervention:
Occupational therapy with
and without animals
focused on facilitating
sensory integration,
language use, sensory
skills and motor skills
Frequency: two sessions
per week, one lasting 26.3
± 6.0 minutes, and one
lasting 28.5 ± 5.3 minutes
incorporating animals
Children ranged between
2-12 sessions of each
type over 15 weeks
Assessments:
Observers recorded
instances of social
interaction and language
use on a behavioral rating
form at each session
Groups:
G1: occupational therapy
Ga: standard sessions
Gb: animal sessions
Provider:
• Occupational therapists
• Trained research
assistants (senior
undergraduate
occupational therapy
field study students)
Measure of treatment
fidelity reported:
No
Co-interventions held
stable during treatment:
NR
Concomitant therapies:
NR
N at enrollment:
G1: 22
N at follow-up:
G1: 22
Inclusion criteria:
• School age
• Participating in schoolbased
program (occupational
therapy services
through public schools)
• Primary diagnosis of
autism
Exclusion criteria:
• See inclusion criteria
Age, years ± SD (range):
9.6 ± 1.7 (7-13)
Mental age:
NR
Gender:
NR
Race/ethnicity:
NR
SES:
Maternal education: NR
Household income: NR
Diagnostic approach:
Referral
Diagnostic tool/method:
NR
Diagnostic category, n
(%):
Autism: 22 (100)
Cerebral palsy: 2 (9)
Other characteristics:
NR
C-293
Baseline
Measures Outcomes
NR Social skills:
Social interactions
per minute, mean
± SD:
G1a: 0.17 ± 0.09
G1b: 0.27 ± 0.10
G1a/G1b: P <
0.01 (ES = 1.0)
Communication/
language:
Uses of language
per minute, mean
± SD:
G1a: 0.98 ± 0.72
G1b: 1.27 ± 1.10
G1a/G1b: P <
0.05 (ES = 0.31)
Harms:
NR
Modifiers:
NR