How early intervention has changed and some strategies to try.

Strategies for Early Intervention

It’s important to create a successful learning environment for your child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at an early age.

“During the critical first years of life, when evidence-based interventions are in place, the data supports major long-term positive effects on symptoms and the future progress of skills,” says Samantha Chesney, M.Ed, BCBA at Streetsboro-based KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center, which has a team of professionals to provide total care support of treatment, education, activities and family services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Chesney and the team at KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center provide some of those strategies for early intervention for ASD.

Dr. Nevada Reed, pediatric neurologist, encourages families not to listen to the adage that “it’s normal for him to be slower with speech, he’s a boy.” Jocelyn Geib, PhD, CCC/SLP, says given that early learning areas of need can include different domains of development — physical, language, social, self-help and cognition — it is important that interventions address the scope of needs of the individual child.

“Initial assessments can help a family understand the strengths and weaknesses of a child so that interventions can be individually tailored for that child,” she says. “Interventions can include behavioral, therapeutic, diet and medication. Research supports that applied behavior analysis (ABA) and early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) are the most empirically-supported interventions.”

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Early intervention has been greatly expanded in recent years to capitalize on a young child’s “neural plasticity,” according to Michelle DePolo, Psy.D., BCBA-D.

Collaboration among professionals and families plays a critical role in the effectiveness of interventions.

“Because early intervention may encompass multiple areas of development, guidance and treatment by professionals in these areas is necessary,” Chesney says. “An interdisciplinary model requires effective communication between service providers and families, as well as training and oversight to ensure strategies are utilized across environments.”