Evaluation of the Integrated Therapy Model in Preschool Education for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China.
Multi-disciplinary preschool integration in China boosts motor and imitation skills for kids with ASD but barely moves self-care.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cui et al. (2023) tested a new preschool package in China. They call it the Integrated Therapy Model.
The team ran an A-B-A-B design with children who have autism. They looked at motor, imitation, self-care, and problem behavior.
What they found
Kids got better at moving and copying actions. Problem behavior dropped.
Self-care and daily-living skills barely budged. The mixed picture tells us the model is only partly useful.
How this fits with other research
Libero et al. (2016) ran an earlier Chinese RCT of a full ABA preschool plan. That study also found only small gains. Together the two papers warn us that "more services" do not always equal big change.
Laermans et al. (2025) used a teacher-led peer program in the same kind of classroom. They saw large jumps in social play. The weak self-care scores in Jialiang et al. may simply show that motor and peer targets are easier than daily living.
Reed et al. (2010) in the UK found moderate adaptive gains from nursery ABA. Their kids made stronger progress than the Chinese kids did on self-care. The difference could be dosage, staff training, or parent carry-over.
Why it matters
If you run preschool sessions, pair the Integrated Therapy Model with a separate self-care strand. Add video modeling or task analysis for dressing, toilet use, and snack prep. Track each domain on its own graph so families see clear wins while you fill the gaps.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Integrated Therapy Model is a practice framework designed to promote multi-disciplinary collaboration to accommodate the holistic needs of children with special education needs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the model adopted in a pilot preschool in China on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A single-case, ABAB reversal design was employed with three children with ASD, and data were collected using direct observation and semi-structured interviews. The results demonstrated that while the model piloted in China was effective at improving fine motor ability, gross motor ability, imitation and problem behavior, it had mild to questionable effects on self-care and independent living capacity. The implications for the practice and for research on preschool interventions in mainland China is discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2023 · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.209