Toddler early intervention aids in autism

SACRAMENTO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Early behavioral intervention for toddlers with autism is highly effective, U.S. researchers have found.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found a novel early intervention for very young children between 12 and 18 months helped improve IQ, language ability and social interaction.

The intervention -- called the Early Start Denver Model -- combined applied behavioral analysis teaching methods with play-based developmental 'relationship-based' approaches.

"Infant brains are quite malleable so with this therapy we're trying to capitalize on the potential of learning that an infant brain has in order to limit autism's deleterious effects, to help children lead better lives," study co-leader Sally Rogers of the University of California, Davis, MIND Institute in Sacramento, Calif., said in a statement.

Study leader Geraldine Dawson, formally at the University of Washington in Seattle, said the study involved 48 diverse, 18- to 30-month-old children with autism. One group got the intervention developed by Dawson and Rogers while the second group was referred to community-based programs for therapy.

The IQs of the children in the intervention group had improved by an average of approximately 18 points, compared to a little more than four points in the comparison group. The intervention group also had a nearly 18-point improvement in receptive language -- listening and understanding -- compared to approximately 10 points in the comparison group.