Challenges in evaluating psychosocial interventions for Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
In 2002, the National Institutes of Health sponsored a meeting concerning methodological challenges of research in psychosocial interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorders. This paper provides a summary of the presentations and the discussions that occurred during this meeting. Recommendations to federal and private agencies included the need for randomized clinical trials of comprehensive interventions for autism as the highest, but not the sole priority. Ongoing working groups were proposed to address psychosocial interventions with a focus on relevant statistics, standardized documentation and methods of diagnosis, development of outcome measures, establishment of standards in research; and the need for innovative treatment designs, including application of designs from other research areas to the study of interventions in ASD.
University of Michigan, Austim and Communication Disorders Center 1111, Ann Arbor 48109, USA. celord@umich.edu
Catherine
C
Lord
Ann
A
Wagner
Sally
S
Rogers
Peter
P
Szatmari
Michael
M
Aman
Tony
T
Charman
Geraldine
G
Dawson
V Mark
VM
Durand
Lee
L
Grossman
Donald
D
Guthrie
Sandra
S
Harris
Connie
C
Kasari
Lee
L
Marcus
Susan
S
Murphy
Samuel
S
Odom
Andrew
A
Pickles
Lawrence
L
Scahill
Evelyn
E
Shaw
Bryna
B
Siegel
Marian
M
Sigman
Wendy
W
Stone
Tristram
T
Smith
Paul
P
Yoder
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D011584:Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome