Are Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions controversial?

While NDBIs are generally considered beneficial, they still face controversies – do they actually work and does that translate to an improved quality of life for the family? This week’s #ASF podcast interviews Molly Reilly and Jinwei Song of @UConn to dive into these issues, as well as the role of the caregiver in the intervention and how their influence affects the outcome. References below.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38719439

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/13623613241227516

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-023-06198-x

Websites: PRTESDMJASPEREMTSocialABCs, and Pathways
Books/Manuals: ESDMPRTJASPEREMT

Missed the Meeting on Language in Autism? Listen to this podcast

Last week in North Carolina, the Meeting on Language in Autism was held, with 3 days of amazing presentations and lots of productive discussions about how language and speech develops and how people with autism communicate. This podcast describes the origins of language development and how intervention during toddlerhood can promote lifelong language abilities. To learn more about the meeting go to www.mola.org and to see the Autism Navigator, go to www.autismnavigator.org.

ABA studies in ASD are not perfect

ABA and ABA – inspired behavioral therapies like Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions are the most commonly used in autism. They have become more sophisticated in design, using control groups and implementing other ways to minimize bias. But when you put all of the data together around ABA-type interventions in a pile, are they effective? Do they work? It turns out, just like everything, these studies are not perfect. But even using the strictest of criteria, the results are positive for the support of social communication skills. Of course, there are nuances and details, you can hear about them in this podcast.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31763860/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33482692/