Study: Early autism intervention in toddlers is effective

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/conditions/11/30/autism.study/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Researchers have shown for the first time that if a child is diagnosed with autism as early as 18 months of age, offering the toddler age-appropriate, effective therapy can lead to raised IQ levels and improved language skills and behavior. Since 2007, pediatricians have been told to screen 18-month-old children for autism. But what the next step is once a young child is diagnosed has not been clear. Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, and Sally Rogers, an author from the University of California-Davis M.I.N.D. Institute devised a trial involving 48 children with autism. All the children in the trial were between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old at the beginning of the study. Half of the children were given community-based interventions or therapies and the other half were enrolled in a 20-hour per week intervention program called "Early Start Denver Model" (ESDM), developed by Rogers. The goal of this research was to determine how much the debilitating effects of autism can be prevented or reduced. ESDM was a program that was designed for children as young as 12 months old. The therapy is delivered in a very unique way; in the form of play, in the child's own home. This kind of therapy is very happy and can be done anywhere. But most importantly it creates a very fun and loving relationship between the child and their therapist. Much different from the classic relationship between a child and their therapist when the therapy is given in an office while sitting at a desk. At the end of the two year trial all the children showed improvements. However, the children in the ESDM group had increased their IQ by nearly 18 points -- 10 points higher than the children getting the standard autism therapy offered in the community. Scores for listening and understanding as well as motor skills and self-care skills were all higher in the ESDM group. Dawson noted that many of the children in the ESDM group had virtually caught up to other children their age. Rogers said that many parents can learn how to give their child the ESDM therapy in a short amount of time and on their own. She also noted that the ESDM therapy is much more cost efficient as well as effective. Although there is no known cure for autism, when it is detected at a young age and proper therapy is given, its damaging effects can be soothed.

In my opinion I don't see why they are waiting to put this form of therapy into use. This study obviously proves that it is much more effective and comfortable for all involved. And if they are a little uncertain about it, why not combine it with the traditional therapy until they are comfortable with it. It can't hurt anything. I think ESDM is a much more positive form of therapy and one that a child won't not look forward to participating in. Afterall, it is just play and interacting. I think the relationship that is built between the child and the therapist is much more healthy in the ESDM therapy than in traditional therapy. I think that because in traditional therapy the therapist sits on one side of the desk and the child sits on the other. It takes place in a formal setting, most commonly in offices. And the child is asked to perform certain tasks that are broken down into smaller components, while receiving reinforcements. And that's the therapy; "Good job!" That doesn't help a child with autism. A child with autism is just a little bit behind their peers. They are children that need that extra bit of attention to catch up to their peers and get socialized. And they are children that may need to be taught something ten different ways before they will learn how to do it themselves, they just need the time to be spent with them. And that is something that parents can do themselves, they don't need some fancy college graduate to do it for them. It's their kid and they know them the best. They can easily learn from someone how to give the therapy to their child without actually giving their child formal therapy. Also, it is much more comfortable for the child and not something they are apt to be embarrassed about as they get older. Where as visiting a therapist on a weekely basis, that's embarrassing for a child. But having a therapist come to their home, or their parents give them therapy without really giving them therapy, that's not something to really be embarrassed about, no one would ever know anyways. So, I believe that the results of this study speak for themselves. Spending time with a child while they are in their everyday environment is much more beneficial to them than sending them to traditional therapy on a weekly basis.