Is there any research showing the long term effects of early intervention on autistic children?

Answer 1

A great site to look at for research (particularly about the various interventions) is the Association for Science in Autism Treatment. Their website is http://www.asatonline.org/ , and the page specifically about intervention research is http://www.asatonline.org/resources/autismtreatments.htm

Here are some more general autism resources that may also be helpful:

"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" - http://www.ellennotbohm.com/ten_things_article.html

"Positively Autism" (Free newsletter and printable lessons/activities) - http://www.positivelyautism.com/

"Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism" by Temple Grandin - http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html

ChristinaBurkABA.com - http://www.christinaburkaba.com/

Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - http://www.paulakluth.com/autism.html

Answer 2

There is actually a ton of research that supports it.

"In 1987, after 25 years of investigation comprising over 400 research studies conducted at University centers throughout the world by many researchers in the field of autism, the UCLA Young Autism Project, under the direction of O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., was able to publish a long-term outcome study showing that 47 percent of the children treated were able to fully recover from autism. By all published accounts, these results were unprecedented. Subsequent research by independent laboratories around the world, is continuing to replicate these profound results and empower families to effectively treat their children." These studies almost all are on the use of applied behavior analysis, discrete trials training. The Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention has a ton of interesting things to read.

The Social Interaction Project has now provided research on early social interaction training, with age 3 being better than age 5 to start.

The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders has a lot of reading that you can do online.
The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis also has good info.

Whatever you read the research is strongly suggesting that many types of early intervention have a profound of effect on an autistic child's future, with ABA methods being the best in terms of developing language.

Answer 3

Yes. Basically what it says is that ABA traumatizes children, and when intervention such as floortime or "theatre therapy" or "social training" cease, autistics tend to revert to how they were prior to therapy.

The reason for this reversion is due primarily to their not seeing a useful application for it in the real world. (When their are constantly shifting social norms, there is no training that can really be permanent.)

The one "therapy" that seems to work is parental acceptance of the autistic child and a willingness of the parent to communicate on the child's level. It is the willingness that causes the autistic child to trust the parent and this tends to cause the autistic to come out of their bubble more and make some minor transitions into social interaction on a general level.

The other thing that ALWAYS works is development of intellect in the area of an autistic's perseverative interest. If a practical application can be found for that interest, vocational traing can be implemented and a successful job may be achieved.

It is increasingly being recommended that people refrain from the demeaning Pavlovian Lovaas/ABA treatments and training the PARENTS to accept their children.

Medication has been shown to affect co-morbidities, but not autism itself, which has been found to be genetic in origin.

http://communications.uwo.ca/making_head...

"Canadian-led research identifies new genetic regions linked to
autism"

"The consortium of scientists - 137 from 50 centres worldwide that
make up the Autism Genome Project - analyzed DNA from about 1,600
families with autistic children to try to zero in on a specific group
of brain cells and the genes that affect their development and
function. Their analysis led them in part to a region on chromosome
11, as well as to a gene known as neurexin 1, part of a family of
genes believed to be important in communication between neurons,
particularly during the brain's development."