National Academies general consensus in treatment programs for Autism

[Guest guest]

This what the National Academies Paper says in " general " . Many public

schools cannot say they are even close to meeting these objectives as

general as they are presented here.

The National Academies Paper and No Child Left Behind 2001 Law, maybe a

very good place to start in terms of going after a school system along

with a good attorney. " Intensive educational programming for at least 25

hours a week, year round, in which the child moves toward identified

objectives, " would be the place to start. The best way a lawyer can

prove this isn't happening is to look at goals (like talking or mand

aquistion)for the lack of progress with experts and gather documentation

about the training that teachers do have. Done properly this could be a

sure winner to get a child what they need. Been there and done that,

lyn

The ERIC/OSEP Special Project

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Development funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs

NEWS BRIEF

The Earlier the Better: Interventions that Benefit Children with Autism

Early intervention and a coordinated program of instructional strategies

are key to progress for children with autism spectrum disorders

according to a recent OSEP-funded study by the National Research

Council, headed by Lord, professor of psychiatry at the

University of Chicago. The study committee was charged with creating a

framework for evaluating research results on the effects and features of

educational interventions for young children with autism.

The committee reports that there is a general consensus in treatment

programs about what services are essential to a successful intervention,

some of which are

entry into an intervention program as soon as the child is suspected of

having an autistic spectrum disorder,

intensive educational programming for at least 25 hours a week, year

round, in which the child moves toward identified objectives,

functional spontaneous communication,

social instruction delivered throughout the day in various settings,

cognitive development and play skills, and

proactive approaches to behavior problems.

The committee also recommends that " young children with an autistic

spectrum disorder should receive specialized instruction in a setting in

which ongoing interactions occur with typically developing children. "

The study also surveyed the research and reported on instructional

strategies that have proven successful for children with autism,

strategies that modify behavior, build new developmental skills, or

increase the ability of the student to communicate. Other successful

techniques include a mix of individual and group instruction and the use

of typical students as peers to elicit social, play, and communicative

responses from young children with autism.

The full report of the committee is available online from the National

Academy Press web site at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10017.html. A

paper copy of the same report can be ordered via that same link.

The study was funded by the Department of Education, Office of Special

Education Programs (Grant #H324F980001; Jim McGee, project director) and

the Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism was

formed by the National Research Council. Lord directed the

committee. Additional information about the report can be found at the

National Academies Web site: http://www4.nationalacademies.org.

ERIC/OSEP Special Project Page

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Last updated: December 13, 2001

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