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Friday, May 8, 2009
Northwest Hall (Chicago Hilton)
1:30 PM
Background: Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is considered the most effective intervention for children with Autism. The ABA Preschool Program at St. Amant provides 31 hours per week of one-to-one intensive behavioral intervention and provides training for 5 hours of parent led intervention. The service is available for up to 3 years. The ABA team consists of a Consultant, Senior Tutor, and Tutors. Prior to the start of intervention, children are assessed on measures of adaptive, cognitive, language, motor skills, as well as autism characteristics and severity. All assessments are administered at intake and repeated each year the child is receiving services. The outcome data are used by the ABA Program to evaluate service outcomes on children’s abilities.
Objectives: The objective of this research is to examine potential predictors of outcome after one year of intensive behavioral intervention.
Methods: We examined potential predictors of outcome for approximately 50 children. Specifically, we examined whether autism severity, age, early learning rate, and cognitive skills at intake are significant predictors of personal-social skills (Battelle Developmental Inventory), communication (Preschool Language Scale 4th Edition), maladaptive behaviors (Scales of Independent Behavior Revised), and skill acquisition (Assessment of Basic Learning and Language Skills, ABLLS) after one year of intensive behavioral intervention.
Results: Multiple regressions reveal that language skills after one year were significantly predicted by age and cognitive skills at intake. In addition, skill acquisition after the first year of intensive behavioral intervention was significantly predicted by early learning rate at 6 months. None of the predictor variables significantly predicted personal-social skills or maladaptive behaviors.
Conclusions: The results are consistent with other studies that report an association between language skills and cognitive skills. In addition, other studies have suggested that age at intake also predicts outcomes.
Objectives: The objective of this research is to examine potential predictors of outcome after one year of intensive behavioral intervention.
Methods: We examined potential predictors of outcome for approximately 50 children. Specifically, we examined whether autism severity, age, early learning rate, and cognitive skills at intake are significant predictors of personal-social skills (Battelle Developmental Inventory), communication (Preschool Language Scale 4th Edition), maladaptive behaviors (Scales of Independent Behavior Revised), and skill acquisition (Assessment of Basic Learning and Language Skills, ABLLS) after one year of intensive behavioral intervention.
Results: Multiple regressions reveal that language skills after one year were significantly predicted by age and cognitive skills at intake. In addition, skill acquisition after the first year of intensive behavioral intervention was significantly predicted by early learning rate at 6 months. None of the predictor variables significantly predicted personal-social skills or maladaptive behaviors.
Conclusions: The results are consistent with other studies that report an association between language skills and cognitive skills. In addition, other studies have suggested that age at intake also predicts outcomes.