30 Facts About Early Intervention and Children on the Spectrum

1. Children who are completely non-verbal who begin intervention in the early pre-school years are far more likely to become vocal (Koegel, 2000)
2. Early intervention services can help infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays to learn many key skills and catch up in their development
3. Early intervention means a smaller developmental gap to “catch up” on
4. Early intervention increases the likelihood of improved long term outcomes (Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, Bradshaw, 2014)
5. With early intervention disruptive behaviors are often avoided, reduced, or eliminated as the focus is on teaching appropriate communication (Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, Bradshaw, 2014)
6. Early intervention techniques to address the core symptoms of ASD may prevent secondary symptoms and reduce the need for more substantial and expensive interventions later in life (Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, Bradshaw, 2014)
7. “It’s very promising to see that children who received two years of early intensive intervention required fewer hours of therapy and special education services through the remainder of their preschool years,” (https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/high-quality-early-intervention-autism-more-pays-itself)
8. Early intervention that focuses on increasing communication skills leads to a reduction or elimination of problem behaviors in the future (Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, Bradshaw, 2014)
9. When early intervention includes ABA treatments (including the ESDM) there is significant improvement in cognitive and adaptive skills, and can lead to a less severe autism diagnosis (Dawson, Rogers, Munson, Smith, Winter, Greenson, Donaldson, Varley, 2009)
10. If you “wait and see” whether the child gains skills (as opposed to early intervention) it is likely that there will be significant negative consequences for children with ASD (National Research Council, 2001)
11. Early intervention leads to fiscal savings, as untreated symptoms of ASD become more abundant and severe later in life, requiring more costly interventions (potentially life long) (Koegel, Koegel, Ashbaugh, Bradshaw, 2014)
12. For kids that received early intervention from 2-5 it is estimated that $187,000-203,000 was saved per child aged 3-22 years old and $656,000-1,082,000 per child from 3-55 (Jacobson et al 1998)
13. “While early intensive behavioral intervention costs more to deliver in the early years, it more than pays for itself in terms of reduced needs for therapy and educational support by the time a child reaches high school,” (https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/high-quality-early-intervention-autism-more-pays-itself)
14. Although early intervention can be costly, it reduces expenses in the long run as it reduces the need for life-long services.
15. Children who begin therapy at a younger age make greater gains than those who enter programs at older ages (Harris & Handleman, 2000)
16. For some children applied behavior analysis therapy appears to have a substantial developmental impact (Harris & Handleman, 2000)
17. In a study, children who were enrolled in ABA therapy before 48 months of age were far more likely to achieve an inclusive educational placement in a regular education class (Harris & Handleman, 2000)
18. Screening and the role of the pediatrician have become even more critical with early diagnosis and the importance of early intervention (Corsello, 2005).
19. Experts working with children with autism agree that early intervention is critical (Corsello, 2005)
20. Investigators have suggested that children with autism should begin intensive behavioral treatment as early as possible in order to obtain the best possible outcomes. (Green, 1996).
21. Early behavioral based interventions have been very successful for many children with ASD (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#3082_8)
22. Younger children who receive ABA therapy may be able to catch up to their peers to a greater extent than older children with autism can. (Eikeseth, Smith, Jahr, & Eldevik, 2002)
23. It has been found that children who began ABA therapy prior to 5 years old had better outcomes that those who entered the program after 5 years old (Fenske, Zalenski, Krantz, & McClannahan,1985).
24. “An increasing body of empirical research suggests that early, intensive, structured intervention, based on the principles of applied behavior analysis, is effective in remediating the intellectual, linguistic, and adaptive deficits associated with autism”. (Remington et al., 2007)
25. When compared to a group of children who received “eclectic” treatment, it was found that children who received intensive early intervention in the form of ABA therapy had higher scores on standardized tests of cognitive, linguistic, and adaptive functioning. (Howard et al. (2005)
26. Early intervention is your child’s best hope for the future. (https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/early-intervention)
27. EI services are aimed at minimizing the impact of disabilities on the development of your child (https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/early-intervention)
28. Research demonstrates that early intervention can improve a child’s development. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
29. “Early intervention services help children from birth to 3 years old (36 months) learn important skills. Services can include therapy to help the child talk, walk, and interact with others. Therefore, it is important to talk to your child’s doctor as soon as possible if you think your child has ASD or other developmental problem.” http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
30. “Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key” (http://nationalautismassociation.org/resources/autism-fact-sheet/)

At BCOTB, we have a series of programs that target skills that are needed to support your child’s success in other environments that they spend the most time in; whether that is play based instruction, an academic setting, or a combination of both. Among those programs, is Early Intervention. Early Intervention is widely accepted in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and can help your child excel magnificently.