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.
Lord
Catherine
C
University of Michigan, Austim and Communication Disorders Center 1111, Ann Arbor 48109, USA. celord@umich.edu
Wagner
Ann
A
Rogers
Sally
S
Szatmari
Peter
P
Aman
Michael
M
Charman
Tony
T
Dawson
Geraldine
G
Durand
V Mark
VM
Grossman
Lee
L
Guthrie
Donald
D
Harris
Sandra
S
Kasari
Connie
C
Marcus
Lee
L
Murphy
Susan
S
Odom
Samuel
S
Pickles
Andrew
A
Scahill
Lawrence
L
Shaw
Evelyn
E
Siegel
Bryna
B
Sigman
Marian
M
Stone
Wendy
W
Smith
Tristram
T
Yoder
Paul
P
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