How Early Intervention Can Help Your Autistic Child

When parents receive an autism diagnosis for their child, one of their first steps should be to seek out early intervention care. Early intensive intervention, it is said, is the key to optimal outcomes for autistic kids.

Scientists have long known that the brain grows quickly between birth and age 3, which suggests that early intervention would be an ideal way to treat a childhood disorder. But what does the science say about the outcomes of early intervention for autistic children?

This article looks at why early intervention can make a difference. It answers some of the questions you may have about the role of early intervention programs for your autistic child.

Father dressing toddler in nursery
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Can Early Intervention Cure Autism?

At least one study suggests that about 14% of autistic children who undergo two intensive years of a program called the Early Start Denver Model will improve radically. In fact, those children would no longer qualify for autism diagnoses if they were being evaluated at a later age.

Another program called LEAP appears to lead to similar outcomes. There is even some evidence that these programs can change the way the brain functions.

There are, however, a few caveats to this finding.

  • The vast majority of children who undergo intensive early intervention do not improve radically. Yes, some autism traits may improve, but these kids may still have very significant developmental delays and challenges when compared with their neurotypical peers.
  • Children may benefit from autism intervention, but they may still face co-occurring disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, intellectual disability, and so forth.
  • An accurate autism diagnosis is, by definition, a lifelong diagnosis. Traits that are difficult to identify in a 6-year-old can become serious challenges in a 20-year-old. Problems with pragmatic speech, anxiety, and repetitive behaviors often emerge as people are exposed to more complex and challenging situations.

Do the Outcomes of Early Intervention Last Over Time?

Some studies suggest that certain types of intensive early intervention do make a difference for at least a couple of years following the treatment. To what degree such improvements will last past age 6 is, at present, unknown.

Is It Best to Get Into Therapy as Early as Possible?

While there are solid practical reasons for early intervention, there are few research studies that show that earlier intervention offers more hope of improvement than later intervention.

One small study looked at a program called "Infant Start." The treatment was administered by parents over a six-month period to children, between the ages of 6 months and 15 months, who exhibited marked autism traits including:

Six out of seven infants in the small study improved dramatically.

Infants and Early Intervention

"For all we know, a child with a developmental delay may have a longer window of opportunity for growth," cautions Geraldine Dawson, director of the University of Washington Autism Center. "I've seen kids who start late and quickly catch up—a lot of kids with intensive early intervention who progressed slowly and then took off in elementary schools."

Why Early Intervention Makes Sense

Early intervention is clearly a good idea. But it's by no means clear that the earlier and more intensive the intervention, the better the outcome. Parents who rush to early treatment with the hope that their autistic child will quickly "recover" may be disappointed—while parents who waited "too long" may see surprisingly positive outcomes.

But why wait?

It makes sense to treat an autistic child as early as possible. The reasons are both research-based and rooted in common sense. Among them:

  1. Toddlers and preschoolers have no other obligations, so their whole day can be devoted to therapy as opposed to academic learning.
  2. Two-year-olds have few ingrained habits, so it's relatively easy to stop negative behaviors before they become intractable.
  3. Helping children to learn socially acceptable behaviors at a very young age is a great idea whether they have autism or not.
  4. Early intervention is almost always provided free of charge, so there is no financial risk.
  5. Even if, for some reason, your child has been inaccurately diagnosed with autism, the types of early intervention programs offered to autistic kids are usually fun, play-based, and risk-free. You don't need to worry that your child will receive potentially harmful treatments.

How well does such therapy work? That depends on the child. As each autistic child has their own profile, abilities, and challenges, each has their own outcomes. But even a little progress is far better than none, especially when that progress comes in the form of new communication skills that allow a child to express desires and needs.

Summary

Early intervention for autistic children is a good idea. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain from getting an autistic child into age-appropriate therapy as early as is feasible.

Having said this, however, it is important to remember that early intervention is unlikely to wipe out autism traits. And even if your child's traits improve significantly, there is a very good chance that other behavioral, developmental, and/or intellectual challenges may remain.

Check with your healthcare provider about the available options for early intervention. They can discuss with you the benefits (and near-absence of any drawbacks) with early intervention programs for your autistic child.

1 Source
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  1. University of Washington. Early intervention improves long-term outcomes for children with autism.

Additional Reading
  • Dawson G, Toth K, Abbott R, Osterling J, Munson J, Estes A, Liaw J. Early social attention impairments in autism: social orienting, joint attention, and attention to distress.Dev Psychol. 2004 Mar;40 (2):271-83.
  • Dawson G, Zanolli K. Early intervention and brain plasticity in autism.Novartis Found Symp. 2003;251:266-74; discussion 274-80, 281-97.
  • Estes et al. "Long-Term Outcomes of Early Intervention in 6-Year-Old Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. July 2015, Volume 54, Issue 7, Pages 580–587.
  • Interview with Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director of the University of Washington Autism Center. January 2007.
  • Matson JL. Determining treatment outcome in early intervention programs for autism spectrum disorders: A critical analysis of measurement issues in learning based interventions.
  • UC Davis. Intervention in 6-month-olds with autism ameliorates symptoms, alleviates developmental delay." September 8, 2014

By Lisa Jo Rudy
Lisa Jo Rudy, MDiv, is a writer, advocate, author, and consultant specializing in the field of autism.