Children with autism deserve evidence-based intervention

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Jennifer J Couper and Amanda J Sampso

Behavioural and Developmental Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Clinical Systematic Review

Background: Much controversy exists regarding the clinical efficacy of behavioural and developmental interventions for improving the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We conducted a systematic review to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of behavioural and developmental interventions for ASD. Methods and Findings: Comprehensive searches were conducted in 22 electronic databases through May 2007. Further information was obtained through hand searching journals, searching reference lists, databases of theses and dissertations, and contacting experts in the field. Experimental and observational analytic studies were included if they were written in English and reported the efficacy of any behavioural or developmental intervention for individuals with ASD. Two independent reviewers made the final study selection, extracted data, and reached consensus on study quality. Results were summarized descriptively and, where possible, meta-analyses of the study results were conducted. One-hundred-and-one studies at predominantly high risk of bias that reported inconsistent results across various interventions were included in the review. Meta-analyses of three controlled clinical trials showed that Lovaas treatment was superior to special education on measures of adaptive behaviour, communication and interaction, comprehensive language, daily living skills, expressive language, overall intellectual functioning and socialization. High-intensity Lovaas was superior to low-intensity Lovaas on measures of intellectual functioning in two retrospective cohort studies. Pooling the results of two randomized controlle

Neonatal imitation predicts infant rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) social and anxiety-related behaviours at one year

The identification of early markers that predict the development of specific social trajectories is critical to understand the developmental and neurobiological underpinnings of healthy social development. We investigated, in infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), whether newborns’ capacity to imitate facial gestures is a valid predictive marker for the emergence of social competencies later in development, at one year of age. Here we first assessed whether infant macaques (N = 126) imitate lipsmacking gestures (a macaque affiliative expression) performed by a human experimenter in their first week of life. We then collected data on infants’ social interactions (aggression, grooming, and play) and self-scratching (a proxy indicator of anxiety) at 11–14 months when infants were transferred into a new enclosure with a large social group. Our results show that neonatal imitators exhibit more dominant behaviours, are less anxious, and, for males only, spend more time in play at one year old. These findings suggest that neonatal imitation may be an early predictor of infant sociality and may help identify infants at risk of neurodevelopmental social deficits

Strategies for Making Regular Contact With the Scholarly Literature

Behavior analysts are obligated by the conventions of the academic discipline and guidelines of professional conduct to stay in close contact with the scholarly literature. However, a number of variables can interfere with this obligation. We discuss several barriers to searching the literature, accessing journal content, and making contact with the contemporary literature and provide solutions for eliminating them

Cross-continental comparison of parasite communities in a wide-ranging carnivore suggests associations with prey diversity and host density

Parasites are integral to ecosystem functioning yet often overlooked. Improved understanding of host–parasite associations is important, particularly for wide-ranging species for which host range shifts and climate change could alter host–parasite interactions and their effects on ecosystem function. Among the most widely distributed mammals with diverse diets, gray wolves (Canis lupus) host parasites that are transmitted among canids and via prey species. Wolf–parasite associations may therefore influence the population dynamics and ecological functions of both wolves and their prey. Our goal was to identify large-scale processes that shape host–parasite interactions across populations, with the wolf as a model organism. By compiling data from various studies, we examined the fecal prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in six wolf populations from two continents in relation to wolf density, diet diversity, and other ecological conditions. As expected, we found that the fecal prevalence of parasites transmitted directly to wolves via contact with other canids or their excreta was positively associated with wolf density. Contrary to our expectations, the fecal prevalence of parasites transmitted via prey was negatively associated with prey diversity. We also found that parasite communities reflected landscape characteristics and specific prey items available to wolves. Several parasite taxa identified in this study, including hookworms and coccidian protozoans, can cause morbidity and mortality in canids, especially in pups, or in combination with other stressors. The density–prevalence relationship for parasites with simple life cycles may reflect a regulatory role of gastrointestinal parasites on wolf populations. Our result that fecal prevalence of parasites was lower in wolves with more diverse diets could provide insight into the mechanisms by which biodiversity may regulate disease. A diverse suite of predator–prey interactions could regulate the effects of parasitism on prey populations and mitigate the transmission of infectious agents, including zoonoses, spread via trophic interactions

Two-year outcomes for children with autism after the cessation of early intensive behavioral intervention

Evidence from recent meta-analytic and narrative review suggests that earlyintensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) may improve life chances of preschoolchildren with autism. Unfortunately, there are few data indicating whetherearly gains are maintained after intervention ceases. The purpose of the presentstudy was to establish the 2-year follow-up outcome for children withautism (N = 41) who had participated in an earlier 2-year controlled comparisonof EIBI. Twenty-three children in the intervention group (100% oforiginal sample) and 18 in the treatment-as-usual comparison group (86% oforiginal sample) were located and retested. Group differences favoring interventionsubstantially diluted in this period but varied significantly betweensubgroups who had received university-supervised and parent-commissionedinterventions, favoring the latter. These groups differed in terms of their baselinecharacteristics and intensity of intervention. Results strongly suggest a needfor better characterization of those children who would benefit from moreactive maintenance programs

A Review of Self-Help Skills for People with Autism: A Systematic Teaching Approach, by Stephen R. Anderson, Amy L. Jablonski, Marcus L. Thomeer, and Vicki Madaus Knapp

An overriding goal for all children on the autism spectrum is for them to function independently in their completion of daily routine skills, such as getting dressed, eating, and using the toilet. Unfortunately, most published curricula and teaching guidelines have focused on communication and academic skills rather than on self-help skills. The book, Self-help skills for people with autism: A systematic teaching approach, by Anderson and colleagues, provides parents and professionals with a systematic method for planning and teaching these valuable skills using scientifically proven methods of applied behavior analysis (ABA). This book is reviewed in terms of the strengths and limitations of the content, as well as its importance as a practical educational tool for assisting those who train individuals with autism