Overview of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Children with Autism

Abstract

Child development typically occurs along a relatively predictable trajectory wherein the majority of children acquire motor skills, language and other behavioral and social competencies in approximately the same sequence and time frame. The diagnostic criteria for autism have changed numerous times since Infantile Autism was first included in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) both offer different diagnostic criteria and have updated their criteria at different times in different ways. Currently, the fifth edition of the DSM (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) offer similar diagnostic criteria. The DSM-5 and ICD-10 both describe a number of common comorbidities and deficits reported in samples of children with autism including intellectual disability, anxiety disorders and limited play skills and acknowledge that autism symptom severity ranges along a spectrum from mild to severe. Without successful intervention during childhood, adults with autism may experience difficulty finding employment, starting families and achieving a desirable quality of life. it is not surprising that a great deal of research has focused on developing effective interventions capable of addressing core symptoms and common comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder with the ultimate aim of enhancing quality of life and autonomy of people with autism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)