Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dunn-Geier et al.,
2000 (continued)
Author:
Harris et al.,
2000
Country:
US
Practice
setting:
Academic
Intervention
setting:
Classroom
Enrollment
period:
1990 to 1992
Funding:
NR
Author industry
relationship
Intervention:
Intensive applied
behavioral analysis
treatment program, 35-
45 hours weekly, 5 days
a week for 12-months.
Each family was
expected to provide an
additional 10 to 15 hours
a week of home-based
instruction.
Questionnaire sent to
parents about current
educational placement.
Assessments:
IQ & CARS included in
follow-up questionnaire
7 years after entry into
preschool classroom of
G2: 1 (2)
Cognitive measure, mean
± SD:
G1: 38.1 ± 19.4
G2: 39.8 ± 16.2
Inclusion criteria:
• Met DSM-III-R criteria
for autism by outside
source and confirmed
by clinical psychologist
at intake
• Entered Douglass
Developmental
Disabilities Center
between 1990-1992
• Every child with data
on pre, post IQ data,
CARS at baseline and
age at admission
Exclusion criteria:
• See Inclusion criteria
Age at admission,
mean/mos (range):
C-411
Overall measures:
CARS, mean
(range):
G1: 34.17 (range
30-40)
Educational/
cognitive/
academic
attainment:
Stanford Binet (IQ),
mean (range):
G1: 59 (range 35-
109)
Checklist language
score, mean change
(SE):
G1: -0.9 (0.6)
G2: -1.8 (1.0)
G1/G2: P = 0.46
Medical:
Number of GI
problems, mean
change (SE):
G1: -0.4 (0.2)
G2: -0.2 (0.1)
G1/G2: P = 0.35
Sensory:
Autism Behavior
Checklist sensory
score, mean change
(SE):
G1: -2.4 (0.8)
G2: -2.7 (0.9)
G1/G2: P = 0.77
Harms:
Tachycardia: 0
Edema/swelling: 0
Headache: 0
Dizziness/lightheadedness:
0
Nausea/vomiting: 0
Skin rash/pruritis: 0
Abdominal pain: 0
Flushing
G1: 3
G2: 4
Modifiers:
Mean difference
between groups for
PLS-3 total score is
still not significant
when analysis is
limited to patients with
at least one GI
problem.
Educational/
cognitive/
academic
attainment:
IQ, mean: 77.59
Harms:
NR
Modifiers:
Significant
association
between age at
admission and
academic
placement
r(25) = 0.658, P
< 0.005 (younger
students more
likely to be in