Low intensity behavioral treatment supplementing preschool services for young children with autism spectrum disorders and severe to mild intellectual disability.

Peters-Scheffer et al. (2010) asked if a small dose of DTT could help preschoolers with autism and intellectual disability. They added 6.5 hours per week of discrete-trial teaching to the kids’ regular preschool day. After eight months they compared the group that got the extra DTT to a group that got only the usual preschool program.

The kids who got the added DTT showed clear jumps in developmental age and daily living skills. Both groups stayed the same on autism severity scores and problem behavior. In short, a light touch of DTT boosted learning and independence without creating new issues.

Grow et al. (2017) used the same DTT backbone to slip in extra play cues during tact trials. Both studies show DTT works for preschoolers with ASD; the difference is Grow packed more targets into the same minutes while Nienke simply added more minutes.

Webb et al. (1999) tracked kids with developmental disabilities for three years without any added teaching. Adaptive skills crept up slowly and play stayed flat. Nienke’s results look stronger, but the designs differ; J et al. simply watched natural growth while Nienke actively taught.

Cheong et al. (2025) tried music therapy for the same age and diagnosis mix. Both studies improved social-adaptive areas, so you now have two low-intensity choices—DTT or music—if your main goal is daily-living gains rather than autism-score cuts.

You don’t need 25 hours a week to move the needle. Six and a half hours of DTT stacked onto regular preschool lifted developmental and adaptive scores in eight months. If a family can’t get full-time ABA, this study gives you evidence to request a part-time DTT add-on and still expect real gains.