| This study evaluated the effectiveness of intensive Early Intervention services that integrated Applied Behavior Analysis and Floor-Time methods on young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This paper also presents a comprehensive overview of intervention and assessment approaches to provide a context within which to consider the findings. To evaluate the efficacy of the services two groups of children (n = 45) were compared, an experimental group and a comparison group. The groups were assessed with the Early Social Communication Scale (ESCS) and a parent/provider questionnaire (ESCS-Q) after the experimental group had received 3 months of treatment and the comparison group had received none. Results from both measures demonstrated significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups on all of the ESCS sub-tests. Requesting---initiating (z = 3.5, p < .001), responding (z = 2.7, p < .01), combined (z = 3.1, p < .001); Joint attention---initiating (z = 2.0, p < .05), responding (z = 2.6, p < .01), combined (z = 2.3, p < .01); Social interaction---initiating (z = 2.2, p < .05), responding (z = 2.2, p < .05), combined (z = 2.2, p < .05). The comparison group was then provided with 3 months of treatment and both measures were administered again. Significant improvement across the 9 variables, as determined by aggregated pretest and posttest scores, was then demonstrated for both groups. Requesting---initiating (z = 5.9, p < .001), responding (z = 5.8, p < .001), combined (z = 5.8, p < .001); Joint attention---initiating (z = 5.2, p < .001), responding (z = 5.7, p < .001), combined (z = 5.7, p < .001); Social interaction---initiating (z = 5.4, p < .001), responding (z = 5.6, p < .001), combined (z = 5.6, p < .001). This suggests that the integrated treatment approach was effective in improving social, communication, and joint attention skills in young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Based on these findings the ESCS and the ESCS-Q were also determined to be adequate developmental tools for use in a diagnostic-developmental assessment battery proposed for future development and use. |
