This project’s overarching goal is to contribute to the improvement of the cognitive, communication, academic, social and behavioral outcomes of preschool-aged children identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.
Specific Objective of Project
The specific objective is to establish the relative efficacy of two existing comprehensive preschool models, the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication-handicapped CHildren (TEACCH) model and the Learning Experiences: Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Parents (LEAP) model.
TEACCH (established 1972)
Theoretical Foundation:
Cognitive-social learning theory
Key Programmatic Features:
- Self-contained classrooms for children with autism often are used
- Adult structured learning opportunities are used
- Classroom environment is arranged to address characteristics of autism
- Special education teacher is the primary instructor
- Strong parent involvement component
LEAP (established 1981)
Theoretical Foundation:
Applied behavior analysis theory
Key Programmatic Features:
- Typically developing children are full-time members of the classroom
- Naturalistic teaching strategies are used
- Classroom environment mirrors typical early childhood settings
- Co-teaching model of instruction that includes a general and special educator
- Strong parent training component
Theoretical Foundation
No primary or guiding theoretical orientation
Key Programmatic Features
Eclectic approach to educating children with autism
Key Staff
Sam Odom, PhD
Principal Investigator
Brian Boyd, PhD
Principal Investigator
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Focused Interventions
Focused intervention approaches target a specific skill, set of skills or behaviors, and specify procedures for changing the targeted skills or behaviors. In their review of literature through the year 2000, the National Academy of Sciences identified intervention approaches that promoted communication, social, and adaptive behavior as well as interventions that addressed problem behavior, finding different levels of evidence for each area. The focused intervention literature informs practitioners of individual practices that may be incorporated into special education classrooms or community programs for children, and importantly these focused intervention approaches often serve as components of comprehensive treatment programs.
What are Comprehensive Interventions
Comprehensive intervention programs for young children with ASD differ from focused intervention approaches in their magnitude of service (i.e., they tend to be implemented for longer periods of time), scope (i.e., address a broader array of skills and behaviors), and intensity (i.e., time and staff actions devoted to intervention). Comprehensive intervention approaches may incorporate efficacious, focused intervention practices as components of their model, but they are different in that comprehensive intervention practices are organized within a broad conceptual and/or theoretical framework. The history of comprehensive intervention programs for young children with ASD is as long as that of focused intervention programs. The types of research conducted with these programs, however, differ from research with focused intervention approaches. Because of their scope and magnitude, research questions about efficacy of school-based comprehensive intervention programs are not easily addressed.
