Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Author:
Tjus et al., 2001
Country:
Sweden
Practice
setting:
Academic
Intervention
setting:
School
Enrollment
period:
NR
Funding:
Swedish Council
of Social
Research, Queen
Silvia’s Jubilee
Fund for
Research on
Children and
Handicaps
Author industry
relationship
disclosures:
NR
Design:
Prospective case
series
Author:
Chez et al.
2000
Intervention:
Swedish version of the
Alpha program (a multimedia
program for
increasing literacy skills
and language learning
through voice,
animation, video, and
sign language
feedback); 25.6 ± 7.5
sessions lasting 32.0 ±
12.6 minutes over 16.9 ±
5.7 weeks
Assessments:
Videotaped sessions of
children and their
teachers evaluated at
start and end of training
to assess 15 variables of
verbal and non-verbal
behavior; observations
coded by one of the
authors. All interviews
and observations
conducted by a
psychologist who was
not blind to group
assignment.
Groups:
G1: autism
Provider:
Four teachers
Measure of treatment
fidelity reported:
No
Co-interventions held
stable during
treatment:
NR
Concomitant
therapies: NR
N at enrollment:
G1: 11
N at follow-up:
G1: 11
Intervention:
Study 1: Secretin, 2
IU/kg per kg of body
Inclusion criteria:
• Confirmed diagnosis of
autism according to
DSM-III-R
Exclusion criteria:
• See inclusion criteria
Age, months ± SD:
G1: 112 ± 28
Mental age (CPM),
months ± SD:
G1: 81 ± 25
Gender, n:
Male: 9
Female: 2
Race/ethnicity:
NR
SES:
NR
Diagnostic approach:
Referral
Diagnostic tool/method:
DSM-III-R
Diagnostic category, n
(%):
Autism: 11 (100)
Other characteristics:
RDLS language age,
months ± SD:
57 ± 22
CARS score, median
(range):
42 (21.5-57)
Inclusion criteria:
• Met DSM-IV criteria for
PDDNOS or Autistic
C-408
Social skills:
Enjoyment, median
frequency (range):
G1: 4 (0-15)
Communication/
language:
Verbal
expressions,
median frequency
(range):
G1: 29 (4-44)
Problem
behavior: Ignores,
median frequency
(range):
G1: 1 (0-10)
Off task, median
frequency (range):
G1: 2 (0-26)
Protests, median
frequency (range):
G1: 0 (0-10)
Adaptive
behavior:
Complies, median
frequency (range):
G1: 9 (4-21)
Seeks help,
median frequency
(range):
G1: 0 (0-4)
Overall ratings:
CARS score, mean
± SD:
Social skills:
Enjoyment,
median
frequency
(range):
G1: 10 (0-20),
G1/BL: P < 0.05
Communication
/ language:
Verbal
expressions,
median
frequency
(range):
G1: 37 (4-49)
G1/BL: P < 0.02
Problem
behavior:
Ignores, median
frequency
(range):
G1: 1 (0-7)
G1/BL: P = NS
Off task, median
frequency
(range):
G1: 6 (2-18)
G1/BL: P = NS
Protests, median
frequency
(range):
G1: 0 (0-2)
G1/BL: P = NS
Adaptive
behavior:
Complies,
median
frequency
(range):
G1: 7 (3-20)
G1/BL: P = NS
Seeks help,
median
frequency
(range):
G1: 2 (0-9)
G1/BL: P < 0.05
Harms:
NR
Modifiers:
Teacher recasts
correlated with
pre- and post-
treatment verbal
expressions
(P < 0.05)
Overall ratings:
CARS score,
mean ± SD: