Recommendations for reporting independent variables in outcome studies of early and intensive behavioral intervention for autism.

Porter et al. (2008) wrote a how-to paper, not a trial.

They built a fill-in-the-blanks form for any team running early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI).

The form asks you to list each learner’s goals, teaching steps, hours, staff training, and data sheets so future teams can copy the whole package.

The paper gives no kid results.

It simply says, “If we all use this same form, we can finally compare apples to apples.”

LaPoint et al. (2025) is the direct sequel. Their 2025 consensus keeps the 2008 EIBI form and adds two new must-dos: register every trial and post the full plan before you start.

Provenzani et al. (2020) shows why the form is still needed. They found 406 autism trials using 327 different outcome tools; 69 % were used only once. The 2008 template is the first step to stop that chaos.

Lord et al. (2005) is the prequel. Their NIH paper begged for better autism methods; Porter et al. (2008) handed practitioners the actual checklist to make it happen.

If you write or review an EIBI study, open the 2008 template first. Fill every box before you submit. Your future self—and every meta-analyst—will thank you.