Interventions for Young Children With Autism: A Synthesis of the Literature

The purpose of this study Was to collect and examine intervention studies conducted With young children With autism. The synthesis looked at inferential studies reported betWeen 1975 and April 2001 that included preestablished criteria such as, for example, at least tWo thirds of the participants ages 3 to 8 years and 50% or more of the participants diagnosed With autism. A total of 24 studies met the inclusion criteria and Were then coded and summarized. Findings revealed that interventions that targeted multiple variables, extended over a long duration, and included parent involvement yielded the most positive outcomes for children.