Outcome of comprehensive psycho-educational interventions for young children with autism.
Big early-ABA packages still hold the strongest evidence for preschoolers with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Eikeseth (2009) read every paper on big early-intervention packages for preschoolers with autism.
The team kept 25 studies and graded how strong the proof was for each program.
They looked at behavior plans, parent training, school support, and child outcomes.
What they found
Behavioral early-intervention programs came out on top.
Other packages had weaker proof or mixed results.
The review ends with a short list of best-practice choices for teams and families.
How this fits with other research
Eckes et al. (2023) updates the same question with numbers. Their meta-analysis of 632 kids shows medium IQ and daily-skills gains from full ABA packages, giving firmer ground to Svein’s early tip.
Schertz et al. (2016) narrows the lens to spoken language. They find small but real language bumps when both clinician and parent run the program, showing one reason Svein’s top pick works.
Gitimoghaddam et al. (2022) maps 770 papers and warns that almost none measure quality of life. This gap means Svein’s favored programs still need broader tracking tools.
Why it matters
You now have a 2009 signpost plus 2023 numbers backing big, multi-hour ABA for preschoolers. Use the list to defend hours, choose manuals, and set parent-coaching goals. Track IQ, adaptive skills, and real-life language—not just table tasks—to fill the quality-of-life gap the newer reviews flag.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This paper evaluates comprehensive psycho-educational research on early intervention for children with autism. Twenty-five outcome studies were identified. Twenty studies evaluated behavioral treatment, 3 studies evaluated TEACCH and 2 studies evaluated the Colorado Health Sciences Project. Outcome studies are graded according to their scientific value, and subsequently graded according to the magnitude of results documented in the studies. Based on the available evidence, treatment recommendations are made and practice parameters are suggested.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2009 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2008.02.003