Effective Programs

There is currently no cure for autism and no one treatment that works for all children. Children seem to vary widely in how they respond to educational interventions; some children make dramatic progress with early and intensive intervention while other children make much slower progress. At this time it is not known why some children respond differently to the same intervention techniques or how to predict which child will follow which learning trajectory. What is known, however, is that the earlier a child receives intervention and, to a certain extent, the more intensive it is, the better the outcome.

A number of components of effective intervention programs for students with ASD have been identified. These components include systematic instruction, functional objectives and meaningful activities, functional communication systems, effective motivational systems, and a system for behavior intervention.

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National Early Childhood TA Center Educating Children with Autism. Published by the National Research Council. 2001. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press. Dawson, G., Osterling, J. (1997). Effectiveness and common elements of current approaches. In M. J. Guralnik (Ed.), The Effectiveness of Early Intervention: Second Generation Research. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.