| Autism is a developmental disorder, of yet unknown etiology, that is defined on the basis of behavioral and developmental features (Lord & McGee, 2001). Characteristics of the disorder, including impaired social interaction and communication skills, and the presence of repetitive and stereotypical behaviors and interests, are apparent from a very early age. Currently, the primary form of treatment for autism is behavioral and educational, working directly with the children as well as training parents and teachers. The characteristics of effective interventions outlined by the Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism (Lord & McGee, 2001), stated that programs should focus on early intervention, intensive instructional programming, with the specific inclusion of the parents in the treatment process.; There is a growing recognition that programming that integrates various approaches such as discrete trial and applied behavioral analysis (Lovaas et al., 1981; Lovaas, 1987; McEachin, Smith, & Lovaas, 1993), developmentally oriented approaches, such as Floor Time (Greenspan & Weider, 1997), and techniques for enhancing functional communication through both verbal language training and alternative modes of communication, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS; Bondy & Frost, 1994), show the greatest likelihood for overall positive outcomes (Prizant & Wetherby, 1998). Moreover, early intervention has been reported to enhance these outcomes, as well as decrease the probability of restrictive placements later in life (Handlemann & Harris, 2000).; The PUENTES program examined in this dissertation is a comprehensive, home-based intensive treatment program for youngsters with autism between the ages of 2 and 6. The goal of the program is to provide direct comprehensive instruction for the children, while providing the parents with the tools needed to interact more successfully with their children.; A quasi-experimental design analyzing pre- and posttreatment data was utilized to determine the effectiveness of the model. Results showed statistically significant differences on all standardized instruments utilized as outcome measures from pre to post treatment. These results suggest that the PUENTES program is an effective intervention model and that with proper replication studies could be used by other clinicians in the field. Implications of the findings for clinical work with children with autism will be discussed. |
