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Evidence-Based Practices in Autism: Where We Started

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Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism

Abstract

Sadly, the early history of intervention research in autism (1943–1980) can be relatively briefly summarized. In his initial description of autism, Kanner (1943) provided some follow-up information on the cases he had seen. Apart from one child “dumped in a school for the feeble minded” (Kanner 1943: 249), the other children (then between 9 and 11) had shown some development of social skills although fundamental social difficulties remained. Kanner’s original paper was not particularly concerned with intervention and, over the years, the varying conceptualizations of autism have led to marked changes in intervention. The emphasis on parental success and some social oddity (which was also noted by Kanner, who emphasized it because he believed the disorder to be congenital and hence not likely entirely attributable to psychopathology in the parents) led various clinicians in the 1950s to postulate a strong role for experience in the pathogenesis of autism (Bettelheim 1950; Despert 1971) and to mistaken attempts to “fix” the child through psychotherapy. Such attempts persist in some countries, particularly France, to the present day even though prominent analysts, such as Anna Freud, cautioned against such notions (see the review by Riddle in 1987).

In the social sciences the conceptualization of evidence-based medicine assumed multiple names (e.g., evidence-based treatments, empirically supported treatments, evidence-based practice). Although some researchers point out intricate differences between the terminologies (see Drake et al. 2004; Kazdin 2008; Hamilton 2007) the term “evidence-based practice (EBP)” is used for the remainder of this book (unless otherwise noted) to represent the process of using empirical evidence, clinical judgment, and client values to make treatment decisions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Fred R. Volkmar was an author of this report.

Abbreviations

ABA:

Applied behavior analysis

APA:

American Psychological Association

ASDs:

Autism spectrum disorders

ASHA:

American Speech–Language–Hearing Association

DSM-III:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd edition

DSM-IV:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition

EBM:

Evidence-based medicine

EBP:

Evidence-based practice*

EBT:

Evidence-based treatment

EIBI:

Early intensive behavioral intervention

EST:

Empirically supported treatment

FAPE:

Free and appropriate public education

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

ICD-10:

International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th edition

IDEA:

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP:

Individualized education program

ISP:

Individualized support program

LEAP:

Learning experiences and alternative programs for preschoolers and their parents

LRE:

Least restrictive environment

NRC:

National Research Council

PECOT:

Patient exposure to intervention, control group, outcome, and time course

PICO:

Problem intervention, comparison, outcome

PRT:

Pivotal response treatment

RCT:

Randomized control trial

SIGN:

Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network

SSED:

Single subject experimental design

TEACCH:

Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication related handicapped Children

UCLA:

University of California at Los Angeles

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  1. Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Brian Reichow & Fred R. Volkmar

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  1. Brian Reichow
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  1. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Brian Reichow

  2. Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Market Street 3535, Philadelphia, 19146, Pennsylvania, USA

    Peter Doehring

  3. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Domenic V. Cicchetti

  4. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Reichow, B., Volkmar, F.R. (2011). Evidence-Based Practices in Autism: Where We Started. In: Reichow, B., Doehring, P., Cicchetti, D., Volkmar, F. (eds) Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6975-0_1

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