Can Children with Autism Master the Core Deficits and Become Empathetic, Creative, and Reflective? A Ten to Fifteen Year Follow-Up of a Subgroup of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Who Received a Comprehensive Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) Approach *

A follow-up study of 16 children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed that with the DIR/Floortime approach, a subgroup of children with ASD can become empathetic, creative, and reflective, with healthy peer relationships and solid academic skills. This suggests that some children with ASD can master the core deficits and reach levels of development formerly thought unattainable with a family-oriented approach that focuses on the building blocks of relating, communicating, and thinking. There is mounting evidence that emotional processes, such as engagement, joint attention affective reciprocity, and creative play are associated with healthy social, language, and intellectual functioning (Greenspan, 2004; Mundy, 1993; Sigman, & Kasari, 1990; Siller & Sigman, 2002). Therefore, we raise the following question: Can these processes be harnessed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to enable them to make more progress than formerly thought possible? It has been believed that children with ASD are incapable of higher levels of empathy and creative and reflective thinking, no matter how much progress they make academically or with language. In this paper, we report on a follow-up study of 16 children and families who engaged in the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR/ CAN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM MASTER THE CORE DEFICITS AND BECOME EMPATHETIC, CREATIVE, AND REFLECTIVE? A Ten to Fifteen Year Follow-Up of a Subgroup of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Who Received a Comprehensive Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR)