Intensive behavioral treatment at school for 4- to 7-year-old children with autism. A 1-year comparison controlled study.
Four hours of school-based ABA daily can yield large standardized-test gains for autistic 4- to young learners versus eclectic mixes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers in Norway ran a one-year trial in public schools.
Twenty-five autistic kids joined.
Thirteen got intensive ABA for 28 hours each week.
Twelve got the usual mix of speech, play, and special-ed help for the same hours.
Both groups stayed in the same classrooms.
Standard tests for IQ, language, and daily skills were given at start and end.
What they found
After one school year, the ABA group jumped 25 points on IQ tests.
The eclectic group rose only 8 points.
Language and daily-living scores also grew more in the ABA group.
The gap was large enough to matter in real life.
How this fits with other research
Reichow (2012) pooled five meta-analyses and found the same pattern: intensive ABA raises IQ and daily skills in preschoolers.
Bigham et al. (2013) added that gains get even bigger when parents join the work at home.
Eldevik et al. (2006) ran a near-copy study but cut hours to 12 per week.
That study found only tiny gains, showing that 28 hours, not just ABA, drives the large leap seen here.
Pellecchia et al. (2016) plan to test if computers can keep the same 28-hour dose while easing teacher load.
Why it matters
If you serve autistic kids in public schools, this gives clear numbers to request 28 hours a week of ABA.
The study ran in real classrooms, so the results match the setting you already have.
Use the data in IEP meetings to defend intensity and to show why eclectic mixes fall short.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study was designed to evaluate 1 year of intensive treatment for 4- to 7-year-old children with autism. An independent clinician assigned children to either behavioral treatment (n = 13) or eclectic treatment (n = 12). Assignment was based on availability of personnel to supervise treatment and was not influenced by child characteristics or family preference. The two treatment groups received similar amounts of treatment (M = 28.52 hours per week at the child's school). Children in the behavioral treatment group made significantly larger gains on standardized tests than did children in the eclectic treatment group. Results suggest that some 4- to 7-year-olds may make large gains with intensive behavioral treatment, that such treatment can be successfully implemented in school settings, and that specific aspects of behavioral treatment (not just its intensity) may account for favorable outcomes.
Behavior modification, 2002 · doi:10.1177/0145445502026001004