The effectiveness of a centre-based early intensive behavioural intervention in a young child with autistic disorder.
Loading...
Date
2008
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
While there is considerable evidence that applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is an efficacious
treatment for Autistic Disorder (AD) in a controlled research setting, the effectiveness of current
applications of ABA in the South African context have not yet been established. The aim of the
present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive ABA programme for a young child
with AD. A single case study was conducted using a within-subject, repeated measures, evaluation
design. The ABA treatment, an applied verbal behaviour version ofABA (AVB/ABA), was
implemented by behaviour consultants and technicians at TRIAD (Therapy and Research in
Autistic Disorders): a private centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, that specialises in the behavioural
treatment of children with AD. The subject was a young boy, who was diagnosed with AD at the
age of 21 months, initiated treatment at TRIAD at 22 month of age, and underwent 20 hours of
treatment per week over a 22 month period. Cumulative outcome data across all learning domains
was obtained using the standard outcome measure at the centre: the Assessment of Basic Language
and Learning Skills (ABLLS). The ABLLS was administered by a senior behaviour consultant on
five occasions, namely at baseline (i.e., at 0 months); at various intervals throughout the
intervention (at 2,3, and 14 months); and in the final week of the study period (at 22 months).
Results were tabulated and converted into linear graph format by the researcher. In addition, the
caregiver was asked to rate the child's progress on a five point Likert scale as a means of
establishing the social validity of the behaviour change. Visual inspection of the linear graphs
revealed that the subject improved considerably across all ABLLS domains over the 22 month
period and the child's caregiver rated that his behaviour had "significantly improved" since the
onset of the intervention. In addition, at the end of the 22 month treatment period, the subject was
enrolled in a mainstream school with the assistance of an aide and was engaging with same-age
peers. The present study thus provides support for the effectiveness of the AVBIABA programme
at TRIAD, contributes to the existing ABA outcome literature, and provides further evidence for the
efficacy of the AVB approach to ABA. Furthermore, results confirm the role of predictor variables,
such as age at onset, hours of treatment, skill acquisition rates, and parental involvement. Finally,
given the gains made in the present study, it is suggested that the initial cost of intensive treatment
may be economical in the long term.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.
Keywords
Autism in children., Autistic children--Rehabilitation., Autistic disorder--Therapy., Theses--Psychology.