The River Street Autism Program: a case study of a regional service center behavioral intervention program.
More parts in a regional ABA program give parents bigger reports of child gains.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dyer et al. (2006) tracked one regional autism program called RSAP. They asked: do more parts of treatment help kids more?
Staff added pieces like longer sessions, parent classes, extra staff training, and close supervision. Parents then rated how their child was doing.
What they found
When the program piled on more parts, parents saw better child skills and daily life. Fewer parts gave smaller gains.
The link was clear: more pieces, happier parent reports.
How this fits with other research
Busch et al. (2010) tested a community PRT program and also saw strong language jumps. They used one set method, while RSAP mixed many parts.
Quetsch et al. (2022) showed community PCIT cuts disruptive behavior. RSAP adds that a wider ABA bundle lifts overall life skills.
Repp et al. (1992) sketched a 12-step service line. RSAP fills in the details: pack each step with parts and watch outcomes rise.
Why it matters
If you run a regional clinic, RSAP says stack your services. Add parent nights, longer hours, and staff coaching all at once. Parents feel the change faster than with slim programs. Try listing every part you offer; then see which ones you can grow next month.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
An urgent demand from Connecticut parents for behavioral intervention resulted in the development of the River Street Autism Program (RSAP). This research-to-practice program implements intervention service based on empirical research findings conducted with children diagnosed with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. RSAP is provided through a regional service center and provides services for children entering the program at 2 to 5 years old. Because of the diverse nature of the districts served by RSAP, the delivered services varied according to the needs of the districts, available funding, and family preferences. Program evaluation data were therefore examined with regard to outcomes for children who received programs with differing numbers of treatment components. Treatment components that varied across children were treatment intensity, duration, extent of family participation, staff training, and supervision. Outcome data revealed that families reported greater gains in child functioning and quality of life when children received programs with more treatment components.
Behavior modification, 2006 · doi:10.1177/0145445506291395