UC Davis MIND institute researcher receives funding to treat toddlers for autism

Article Created: 01/09/2008 09:38:04 AM PST
UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Sally J. Rogers has received $15.3 million to test the effects of an intensive intervention for toddlers with autism that combines play- and relationship-based approaches with applied behavior analysis.
This five-year study is the first multisite, randomized trial funded by the National Institutes of Health to determine if intervention earlier than 24 months of age is effective for children in reducing - or circumventing altogether - the language impairments and social deficits associated with the serious developmental disorder. Researchers will also determine the behavioral factors that help predict whether or not a child will respond well to this early treatment.
Rogers, one of the world's leading researchers on autism treatment, will be joined in the investigation by Annette Estes, research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate director of the University of Washington Autism Center; and Catherine Lord, professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center.
"There is very little published about the effectiveness of any intervention model for children in treatment earlier than age 2. However there are some very promising results from a feasibility study that is being conducted at the University of Washington," said Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences with the UCD M.I.N.D. Institute and the study's principal investigator. "With this new funding, we can broaden that study and truly provide an 'acid test' of the effectiveness of this type of interventional approach for very young children with autism."
The intervention to be tested - the Early Start Denver Model - was developed by Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, a study consultant and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington, and their collaborators at the University of Washington, the M.I.N.D. Institute and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The approach fuses developmental and relationship-based intervention techniques with applied behavior analysis teaching strategies. It focuses on using play and positive reciprocal interactions to teach a developmental curriculum designed for each child based on current abilities and interests.
The individualized approach is what makes the model easy to adapt for younger children. A combination of the developmental curriculum, teaching techniques based on applied behavior analysis, and warm, engaging social exchanges between an adult and the child is used to achieve measurable treatment goals targeting affective connection, social relatedness and communication skills.
Together, the three study sites will recruit a total of 108 children aged 18-to-30 months who have symptoms of autism.
Children enrolled in the study will receive intensive, one-on-one intervention in their homes for more than 25 hours per week over the course of two years, and caregivers will be instructed on how to deliver the intervention themselves. Results will be compared to children of the same age receiving standard community interventions - such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, special preschools or applied behavioral analysis - to determine the efficacy of the Early Start Denver Model at measurably reducing some or much of the disability associated with autism.
"There are reports that this type of intensive treatment early in life significantly improves the development of useful speech and decreases the severity of cognitive impairments in children with autism," Rogers said. "However, most interventions are designed for older preschoolers. It's time to find out if they work or need to be adjusted for the very young. This is especially important as we are able to diagnose autism earlier and earlier. It is essential to have treatment options with proven results to recommend to children of any age once the diagnosis of autism is given."
The UCD M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute is a unique collaborative center for research into causes, treatments and cures for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, ADHD and learning disorders.