Community Implementation of Early Behavioral Intervention: Higher Intensity Gives Better Outcome

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the outcome of early behavioral intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as it was provided through public service providers in Norway. A group of 21 children received low-intensity intervention (11.1 weekly hours), a second group of 36 children higher intensity intervention (18.1 weekly hours), and a third group of 17 children received eclectic special education. Group assignment was based on independent referrals. We compared outccromes on adaptive behavior, ASD severity, and intellectual functioning after one year. The lower and higher intensity behavioral intervention groups received fewer hours than what is recommendedbut did significantly better than the eclectic group. Moreover, the higher intensity behavioral group did better than the lower intensity behavioral group. Nevertheless, gains in both groups were more modest than what is reported for intervention that is more intensive. W 3e describe the model of service delivery, discuss challenges with it, and propose improvements.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• early intensive behavioral intervention
• outcome
• community based
• dose-response relationship

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following supervisors for their help: Kristine Gjerde, Mariann Lauritsen, Christine Lie, Kim Liland, Marianne Mjøs, Silje Nikolaisen, Elisabeth Rustebakke, Hanne Skau, Hege Tryggetstad, and Astri Valmo.

Ethics Statement

This investigation was approved by a research ethics committee and have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article