title: Language therapy and autism: results of three different models.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  language and communication disorders are essential features of the autistic spectrum disorders, and are part of the diagnostic criteria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to verify the existence of observable differences in the functional communicative profile and in the social cognitive performance of autistic children and adolescents receiving language therapy in three different situations. Assessment focused on the period of modified intervention and on the following period.
  
  
  METHODS
  subjects were children and adolescents with psychiatric diagnosis within the autistic spectrum. Participants were divided in three groups according to the intervention received during a period of six months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  determined observable differences, but not statistically significant. The group that presented the most progress was the one in which the subjects received therapy in pairs. The fact that none of groups presented a decrease in their progress indicators, as well as the fact that in a few situations the number of subjects who presented progress increased after this period was not expected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the results of the present study reinforce that the procedures used to determine the individual abilities and inabilities were useful in planning the intervention procedures.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo. fernandadreux@usp.br
authors.forename: Fernanda Dreux
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Fernanda Chiarion
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Cibelle La Higuera
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: Priscilla Faria
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Sousa-Morato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007802:Language; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000379:methods