Early intervention improves social skills in autistic kids--study

Since it has been scientifically established that the brain grows rapidly till age three, experts theorize that early interventions that target social deficits in autistic kids would be the ideal way to improve their social development.

Lead author of the study, Dr Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders and the REACH research program at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, stated, “This and other autism studies suggest that the ‘wait and see’ method, which is often recommended to concerned parents, could lead to missed opportunities for early intervention.

“By acting early, we are providing toddlers tools and skills to increase social opportunities throughout their lifetime and positioning them to have the best possible outcomes.”

Study details
In a bid to determine whether targeted intervention program helps autistic kids, the researchers conducted a study.

For the purpose of the study, they enrolled 50 toddlers diagnosed with ASD in the age group of 21-33 months old.

The study subjects were split into two groups and randomly assigned to one of the two interventions: Interpersonal Synchrony (IS) or Non-Interpersonal Synchrony (non-IS).

The kids met four times a week for two-and-half-hours a day for a period of six months.

Both the groups focused on classroom-based activities organized by specialized trainer as well as home-based activities involving parents who were specially trained and educated for the program.

The only difference between the two groups was that the IS group stressed on the development of social skills such as sharing and imitation.

Revelations of the study
The kids were evaluated at the onset of the study and then again at the end of the intervention at six months later.

At the close of the study, it was noted that both the groups exhibited improvements in social, cognitive, and language skills.

However, it was observed that toddlers in the IS group made more progress than those in the non-IS group.

In addition, it was noticed that the former also used their newly acquired skills with different people and locations.

A follow-up of six months revealed that the social skills the IS group had gained during the intervention period were maintained throughout while those in the non-IS group were reduced.

Landa stated, "This is the first randomized controlled trial to examine an intervention focused on core social deficits of ASD in toddlers, and the first to show gains in these deficits resulting from intervention.

"Though preliminary, our findings provide promising evidence that such a supplementary curriculum can help improve social and communication skills in children younger than 3 who have ASD."

The findings are published in the 'Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.'

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism is a neurobiological disorder that causes severe and pervasive impairment in the ability to communicate and relate to others.

The disorder is usually first diagnosed in early childhood. The causes for the condition are unclear though researchers believe environmental, biological, and genetic factors play a role.

Though there is no medical test for this complex biological condition, parents and doctors can work together to analyze a child's behavior and development to make a diagnosis.