The effectiveness of home-based early behavioral interventions for children (2:6–4:0 years old) with autistic spectrum disorders
was studied over 9–10 months. Measures of autistic severity, intellectual, educational, and adaptive behavioral functioning
were taken. There was no evidence of recovery from autism. High-intensity behavioral approaches (mean 30 h/week) produced
greater gains than low-intensity programs (mean 12 h/week). Lovaas- and complete application of behavior analysis to schools
approach-type interventions produced largest gains [similar to gains produced by longer-term clinic-based applied behavior
analysis (ABA) programs]. Within the high-intensity groups, increased temporal input on the program was not associated with
increased gains in the children. The results from clinic-based ABA trials were partially replicated on a home-based sample,
using children with greater autistic and intellectual impairments.
Keywords Applied behavior analysis - Early teaching intervention - Home-based - Intellectual functioning - Educational functioning - Adaptive behavioral functioning - Temporal intensity