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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 May;25(4):1137-1153.
doi: 10.1177/1362361320985680. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

Intensive behavioural interventions based on applied behaviour analysis for young children with autism: An international collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis

Mark Rodgers  1 , Mark Simmonds  1 , David Marshall  1 , Robert Hodgson  1 , Lesley A Stewart  1 , Dheeraj Rai  2 , Kath Wright  1 , Esther Ben-Itzchak  3 , Svein Eikeseth  4 , Sigmund Eldevik  4 , Hanna Kovshoff  5 , Iliana Magiati  6 , Lisa A Osborne  7 , Phil Reed  8 , Giacomo Vivanti  9 , Ditza Zachor  10 , Ann Le Couteur  11
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Intensive behavioural interventions based on applied behaviour analysis for young children with autism: An international collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis

Mark Rodgers et al. Autism. 2021 May.

Abstract

Early intensive applied behaviour analysis-based interventions are designed to support young autistic children's learning and development. Unfortunately, the available evidence about the effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear. Several reviews have focused on the published findings rather than contacting the authors to collect and analyse data about the individual participants in the original studies. Also, most of the studies were carried out by groups involved in delivering the interventions leading to the potential bias in interpreting the results. Our research team (supported by an international advisory group) carried out an independent individual patient data review by collecting the original participant data from the authors of the studies, to examine the effectiveness of these interventions. The results suggested that early intensive applied behaviour analysis-based interventions might lead to some changes in children's cognitive ability (intelligence quotient) and everyday life skills after 2 years, compared with standard treatments. However, all the studies had problems with the way they were designed. Also, few of the studies looked at outcomes that have been described as most important to autistic people or followed children beyond 2 years. We think that further systematic reviews of the existing evidence are unlikely to add to the findings of our review. Furthermore, we recommend that future research should investigate which types of supports and interventions are most effective for children and families, prioritising outcomes measures that are meaningful for the autism community and include, wherever possible, longer-term follow-up.

Keywords: applied behaviour analysis; autism; autism spectrum disorder; individual participant data; meta-analysis; systematic review.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Diagram of the components of the full SCABARD project as presented in Rodgers et al. (2020).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
PRISMA flow diagram for full SCABARD review (Rodgers et al., 2020).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Results of repeated measures meta-analyses of VABS components.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Two-stage random-effects meta-analysis of composite VABS score at 1 year.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Two-stage random-effects meta -analysis of composite VABS score at 2 years.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Results of repeated measures meta-analyses of IQ.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Two-stage random-effects meta-analysis of IQ at 1 year.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Two-stage random-effects meta-analysis of IQ at 2 years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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