Intensive behavioral treatment for a toddler at high risk for autism.

Doctors worked with one toddler who showed early signs of autism. The child was younger than two.

They gave 30 hours of one-on-one ABA each week for four years. Sessions happened at home and in a center.

After four years the child’s IQ and language scores were above age level. No behavior problems remained.

The team says early, intense ABA helped the child catch up to typical peers.

Han et al. (2025) pooled 25 studies and found small but real gains from early ABA. Their data include this 2002 case.

Slater et al. (2020) ran a trial with 87 toddlers. They saw big language gains only for kids with mild symptoms at 25 hours a week. The single case here had strong results, yet we do not know the child’s symptom level.

Guthrie et al. (2023) showed parent coaching started at 18 months beats waiting until 27 months. The toddler here began even earlier, lining up with the “earlier is better” theme.

Linstead et al. (2017) found more hours and more months both boost mastery. The 30-hour dose in this case matches their high-intensity sweet spot.

You can’t plan from one child, but the pattern is clear: start ABA young, keep hours high, and track progress often. Use this case when you talk with parents who worry it is too early to begin. Push for at least 25–30 hours a week and keep the program going. Pair the case story with Slater et al. (2020) to decide if a toddler needs full intensity or can start lower.