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Teaching Young Nonverbal Children with Autism Useful Speech: A Pilot Study of the Denver Model and PROMPT Interventions

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Abstract

This single subject design study examined two models of intervention: Denver Model (which merges behavioral, developmental, and relationship-oriented intervention), and PROMPT (a neuro-developmental approach for speech production disorders). Ten young, nonverbal children with autism were matched in pairs and randomized to treatment. They received 12 1-h weekly sessions of therapy and daily 1-h home intervention delivered by parents. Fidelity criteria were maintained throughout. Eight of the ten children used five or more novel, functional words spontaneously and spoke multiple times per hour by the conclusion of treatment. There were no differences in acquired language skills by intervention group. Initial characteristics of the best responders were mild to moderate symptoms of autism, better motor imitation skills, and emerging joint attention skills.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. M.I.N.D. Institute, University California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Sally J. Rogers

  2. PROMPT Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA

    Deborah Hayden

  3. University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Susan Hepburn, Renee Charlifue-Smith, Terry Hall & Athena Hayes

Authors
  1. Sally J. Rogers
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  2. Deborah Hayden
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  3. Susan Hepburn
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  4. Renee Charlifue-Smith
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  5. Terry Hall
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  6. Athena Hayes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sally J. Rogers.

Additional information

This research was supported by an award from the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders #R21 DC05574, and by the Coleman Institute of University of Colorado. Dr. Rogers and Dr. Hepburn are also partially supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development HD35468.

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Rogers, S.J., Hayden, D., Hepburn, S. et al. Teaching Young Nonverbal Children with Autism Useful Speech: A Pilot Study of the Denver Model and PROMPT Interventions. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 1007–1024 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0142-x

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