Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Evidence Table. Therapies for children with ASD
Study
Inclusion/Exclusion
Description Intervention
Criteria/Population
Author:
Intervention: massage Inclusion criteria:
Escalona et al., therapy provided by • Children with autism
2001
parents for 15 minutes recruited from a school
Country: just prior to bedtime every for children with autism
US
night for 1 month. Parents • Ages 3-6 years
were trained by massage Exclusion criteria:
Practice
setting:
Academic
therapists.
Parents of the attention
control group read Dr.
Seuss stories on the
same time schedule to
their children
• See inclusion criteria
Age, mean/yrs ± SD:
5.2 ± 1.8
Mental age:
NR
Gender:
M, n (%): 12 (60)
F, n (%): 8 (40)
Intervention
setting: home
Enrollment
period: NR
Funding:
NIH, Johnson &
Johnson
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design: RCT
Escalona et al.,
2001 (continued)
Groups:
G1: massage therapy
administered by parents
G2: reading attention
control group
Assessments:
Revised Conners Scales
Classroom and
playground behavior
observations
Sleep diaries
Co-interventions held
stable during treatment:
NR
Frequency of contact
during study:
Assessments on 1 st and
last days of study;
intervention/control
activities occurred daily
with parents
Concomitant therapies:
NR
N at enrollment:
G1+G2: 20
N at follow-up:
G1+G2: 20
Race/ethnicity, %:
White: 72
Hispanic: 20
African American: 8
SES:
Middle socioeconomic
status:
Hollingshead Index, mean:
G1 & G2: 1.8
Diagnostic approach:
Children had been
diagnosed by 2
independent clinicians ~1-3
years earlier using DSM III-
R criteria.
Diagnostic tool/method:
DSM-III-R
Diagnostic category, n
(%):
Autism: 20(100)
Other characteristics:
NR
C-394
Baseline
Measures Outcomes
Revised Conners Revised Conners
Scales, mean: Scales, mean:
ADHD Index, parent ADHD Index,
rating:
parent rating:
G1: 66
G1: 60
G2: 65
G2: 64
Restless-impulsive t = 1.91, (P <
behaviors, parent 0.05)
rating:
Restless-
G1: 66
impulsive
G2: 66
behaviors, parent
Emotional index, rating:
teacher rating: G1: 60
G1: 62
G2: 63
G2: 62
t = 2.05, (P <
Emotional index, 0.05)
parent rating: Emotional index,
G1: 58
teacher rating:
G2: 55
G1: 55
Global index G2: 60
DSM-IV scale for t = 1.83, (P <
inattentiveness, 0.05)
teacher rating: Emotional index,
G1: 56
parent rating:
G2: 60
G1: 54
DSM-IV scale for G2: 55
inattentiveness, t = 2.11, (P <
parent rating: 0.05)
G1: 62
Global index
G2: 56
DSM-IV scale for
inattentiveness,
teacher rating:
G1: 50
G2: 62
t = 1.75, (P <
0.05)
DSM-IV scale for
inattentiveness,
parent rating:
G1: 63
G2: 61
t = 1.97, (P <
0.05)
Classroom/
playground,
frequency of
behaviors, %:
On-task behavior,
classroom:
G1: 81
G2: 81
Stereotypical
behavior,
classroom:
G1: 8
G2: 5
Stereotypical
behavior,
playground:
G1:13
G2:12
Social relatedness
to teacher,
playground:
G1:14
G2:14
Classroom/
playground,
frequency of
behaviors, %:
On-task behavior,
classroom:
G1: 94
G2: 91
t = 2.13, (P <
0.05)
Stereotypical
behavior,
classroom: