A systematic review of behaviour analytic interventions for young children with intellectual disabilities.
ABA earns an evidence-based seal for teaching communication, daily-living, and pre-academic skills to children under eight with intellectual disability.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bush et al. (2021) hunted every paper that used ABA with kids under eight who have intellectual disability. They set rules: only behavior-analytic tactics, only young kids, only ID diagnosis. After sifting the pile they graded the proof for each skill area.
What they found
Communication, daily-living, and pre-academic skills earned the 'evidence-based' badge. Academic skills landed in the 'maybe' box. The team says ABA meets standard criteria for the first three domains even though many single studies were shaky.
How this fits with other research
Eldevik et al. (2010) backs them up. That study gave preschoolers with ID about 10 hours of ABA each week. After one year the kids posted big jumps in IQ and adaptive scores. The new review folds that success story into its wider 'yes' vote.
Eldevik et al. (2006) sounds a warning. Twelve hours a week of ABA produced only tiny gains for toddlers with autism plus ID. That looks like a clash, but dose explains it. The 2021 review pools studies with stronger, longer programs while the 2006 paper tested a light schedule. More hours, clearer wins.
Rodgers et al. (2021) adds the autism angle. Their mega-review of 491 preschoolers found medium IQ gains and small adaptive gains after two years of intensive ABA. Bush et al. (2021) agree ABA works, but they widen the club to kids whose main label is ID, not autism. Together the two reviews say: early, intense ABA helps across diagnoses.
Why it matters
If you run early-intervention classrooms or home programs for kids with ID, you now have a green light from a full systematic review. Push for solid hours, measure communication and self-care targets, and you are following an evidence-based path. Start there on Monday.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: According to several comprehensive systematic and narrative reviews, interventions based on applied behaviour analysis principles, or behaviour analytic interventions, are considered evidence based for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no comprehensive review of the literature related to behaviour analytic interventions for children with intellectual disability (ID) currently exists. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (registration ID: CRD42018099317), the purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the relevant published literature on the use of behaviour analytic interventions to develop skills in young children (0-8 years) with ID (and without ASD). A preliminary search of the literature identified 1209 potential studies published between January 2000 and April 2020. The review process resulted in 48 articles consisting of 49 studies (i.e. one paper contained two studies) that met the inclusion criteria. Most used single-case research designs. Studies were evaluated on five dimensions of methodological quality based on the Scientific Merit Rating Scale developed by the National Autism Center (NAC). The NAC definitions were also used for the quantity and quality of research evidence required for interventions to be considered established or emerging. RESULTS: There were a number of limitations to the quality of the body of research. Nevertheless, various behaviour analytic interventions met criteria for being established interventions when used for targeting communication, adaptive and pre-academic skills in young children with ID. Behaviour analytic interventions targeting academic skills met criteria for emerging interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Although the current literature is limited, results indicate that behaviour analytic interventions may be effectively used to support skill development in children with ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2021 · doi:10.1111/jir.12780