title: Early Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Under 3 Years of Age: Recommendations for Practice and Research.
abstract: This article reviews current evidence for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions for children aged <3 years, based on peer-reviewed articles published up to December 2013. Several groups have adapted treatments initially designed for older, preschool-aged children with ASD, integrating best practice in behavioral teaching methods into a developmental framework based on current scientific understanding of how infants and toddlers learn. The central role of parents has been emphasized, and interventions are designed to incorporate learning opportunities into everyday activities, capitalize on "teachable moments," and facilitate the generalization of skills beyond the familiar home setting. Our review identified several comprehensive and targeted treatment models with evidence of clear benefits. Although some trials were limited to 8- to 12-week outcome data, enhanced outcomes associated with some interventions were evaluated over periods as long as 2 years. Based on this review, recommendations are proposed for clinical practice and future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; lonniez@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Lonnie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zwaigenbaum
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Memorial Children's Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Roula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Choueiri
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California;
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kasari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Tarzana, California;
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Granpeesheh
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mailloux
authors.affiliation: USC Mrs T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Los Angeles, California;
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith Roley
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Development & Educational Services, New Bedford, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Sheldon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut;
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fein
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California;
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buie
authors.affiliation: Integrated Center for Child Development, Newton, Massachusetts;
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newschaffer
authors.affiliation: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robins
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida;
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wetherby
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology, and.
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel;
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yirmiya
authors.affiliation: Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estes
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California;
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut; and.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: McPartland
authors.affiliation: Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Marvin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Natowicz
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002675:Child, Preschool; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education