Comments on “Challenges in Evaluating Psychosocial Intervention for Autistic Spectrum Disorders” by Lord et al.

Excerpt

This document was based on several meetings sponsored by the major U.S. National Institutes for studying and funding developmental problems and their most effective treatment. This project has taken on greater urgency for at least two recent trends. One is the striking increase in the prevalence of autism—from 5 in 10,000 three decades ago, (Fombonne, 2003) to estimates of 1 in 160 today. While possible causes are being debated, the increase in referrals is reported internationally. The second trend stems from the information explosion connected with the internet. There has been a virtual proliferation of treatment techniques (Schopler, 2001) many of which are promoted by marketing considerations rather than by evidence of effectiveness. This report is an admirable effort to develop a national policy for evidence based intervention, a basis for endorsing or funding effective psychosocial interventions. …