What Research Tells Us About Home-Based Autism Therapy
A 1998 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders looked at whether intensive behavioral therapy could help young autistic children when delivered at home by parents with clinician support, rather than in a clinical or academic setting.
What the Study Found
The researchers compared two groups of young autistic children:
- Home therapy group: Received behavioral treatment at home (based on Lovaas methods) with parent implementation and clinician support. Sessions were fewer hours per week than in previous studies.
- Control group: Received conventional school-based interventions plus limited one-on-one therapy.
After treatment, the home therapy group showed:
- Significantly higher IQ scores than the control group
- Small but meaningful reductions in autism symptom severity (though all children still met autism/PDD diagnostic criteria)
Why This Matters for Families
This suggests that parent-implemented behavioral therapy at home – even with fewer hours than clinic-based programs – may lead to cognitive gains for some young autistic children. It highlights parents' potential role as active therapy providers.
Important Limitations
- Small study (exact number of participants not stated in abstract)
- Researchers couldn't directly observe therapy quality/fidelity
- All children still had significant support needs post-treatment
- Study is from 1998 – newer research may update findings
Read the original study: Sheinkopf & Siegel (1998), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Read the study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1026054701472
