Intensive home-based early intervention with autistic children.

Although several descriptions of educational programs for young autistic children exist in the literature, most have focused on one model of service delivery, the preschool classroom. Unfortunately, this model fails to meet the educational needs of some autistic children because of limitations in the amount of direct instruction it can provide, the lack of generalization of treatment effects, and the absence of comprehensive parent training. The current study developed and evaluated a home-based alternative to the preschool setting. Essential features of the model include: (a) systematic use of behavioral teaching techniques and treatment procedures; (b) intensive training conducted in each child's natural home; and (c) extensive parent training. Most of the 14 children who participated in the study demonstrated significant gains in their language, self-care, social, and academic development, as evidenced by the results of standardized assessments and individual treatment data. The results also indicated a change in the parents' ability to teach their handicapped children. These results are compared and contrasted to previous findings reported in the literature.