Dissemination of Early Intervention Program for Preschool Children on the Autism Spectrum into Community Settings: An Evaluation.

This study looked at whether early intervention works just as well in regular preschools as it does in special autism centres. Researchers followed 47 young children with autism receiving the Early Start Denver Model program. They found that both settings worked well for most children. Kids in regular preschools had fewer behaviour problems, and children who received intervention for longer periods had better language skills.

This suggests your child can benefit from early intervention whether they attend a special autism centre or a mainstream preschool.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) intervention delivered in two different settings: autism-specific early learning centres versus mainstream preschools. The research included 47 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder, comparing outcomes between the two settings. Results showed that both settings were generally effective for delivering early intervention, with no significant differences in most outcomes. Children in mainstream settings showed greater reduction in challenging behaviours, while longer intervention duration improved language skills.

The findings suggest that early intervention can be successfully implemented in community mainstream settings, though families requiring additional support may benefit from specialised services.

Early intervention can be successfully delivered in mainstream community settings, providing families with more placement options. However, individualised assessment is needed as families requiring additional support may benefit more from specialised services. Intervention duration should be considered when planning treatment goals.

Small sample size limits generalisability of findings. Study type not specified, suggesting potential methodological concerns. Authors explicitly note results should be interpreted with caution. No information provided about randomisation or control conditions.

We aimed to address a policy-relevant research area with high priority, namely disseminating early intervention for children on the autism spectrum into mainstream community settings. The study cohort comprised 47 children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) receiving the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) intervention: 23 children attending an Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre (ASELCC) and 24 children attending a mainstream preschool setting. Group comparisons revealed that the overall response to intervention was in the majority of cases not significantly different between settings. One difference was found in that children in the mainstream preschool setting showed a significant reduction in externalising behaviours compared to the children attending the autism-specific preschool.

Intervention duration was found to influence outcomes with a one-month increase in duration found to improve expressive language skills. While the results need to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, these findings suggest that early intervention can be successfully delivered in both autism-specific and mainstream settings. However, those families needing additional parent support may be better served by a specialised service.