Kathryn

Respicio
PSYCH 41
Cognitive Development Assignment
Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by early impairments in communication,
social skills, and intellectual functioning. While researchers are unable to understand how and
why ASD brains process stimuli in their environment differently, behavior analysts continuously
try to find ways to help young children and adolescents cope with their diagnosis.
One of the methods that is implemented is early intervention. These interventions are
specifically used for infants and young children at-risk for ASD. Past research has documented
significant improved outcomes with early intervention for preschool and school-aged children
with ASD (Bradshaw, Steiner, Gengoux, & Koegel, 2015).
The first two years of development are characterized by dramatic changes in cognitive,
social, and verbal communication. The developmental gaps between ASD children and their
typical peers present future difficulties in communication and integration. By starting treatment
as early as possible, early interventions could improve and change developmental trajectories.
The authors of this article focused on researching the overall effectiveness of early
interventions. Their meta-analysis provided mixed results. According to Bradshaw et al. (2015),
most studies demonstrated some improvement in verbal and nonverbal communication and
social engagement. However, two studies found that target interventions did not have significant
gains in behaviors and communications. Lastly, only one study exhibited a high efficacy score
for early intervention. The authors specified that this particular intervention utilized both
clinician modeling and parent education. Overall, more research is needed to establish the overall
effectiveness of early intervention. Additional research is also needed discern a curriculum that
could establish an effective intervention strategy.

Kathryn Respicio
PSYCH 41
References
Bradshaw, J., Steiner, A. M., Gengoux, G., & Koegel, L. K. (2015). Feasibility and effectiveness
of very early intervention for infants at-risk for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic
review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 3(45), 778-794.