Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

Applied Behavior Analysis is a form of behavioral therapy originally proposed by B. F. Skinner, one of the pioneers of psychology. In recent years Dr Vincent Carbone and Ole Ivar Lovaas have been advocates of this approach for autistic children. In short Applied Behavior Analysis is a way of communicating with the child in a way that reinforces the right behaviour (What is Applied Behavior Analysis?).
Now researchers at California State University have conducted a 14 months trial comparing ABA to two other forms of teaching methods used with autistic children and found a statistically significant improvement.

“After 14 months of intervention, most children participating in intensive ABA for 25 to 40 hours a week had made substantial improvements in most skill areas, according to numerous standardized evaluations conducted by professionals who were not affiliated with any of the treatment programs. Many of those children actually had accelerated rates of development in language, cognitive and self-help skills.
One group of preschool children with autism received intensive “eclectic” intervention in specialized classrooms for 30 hours per week. That intervention featured combinations of methods designed for children with autism customized to each child and delivered in a format in which one trained adult worked with 1 to 2 children. Another group participated in early intervention programs for children with various developmental delays, also utilizing a combination of methods for 15-20 hours per week. Both of those groups also received 14 months of intervention.
Despite its widespread availability and popularity, “eclectic” intervention proved comparatively ineffective. The two groups whose treatment consisted of a combination of methods made negligible gains in some skills, and lost ground in others. Their rates of development remained largely unchanged. ”
More on the study on Cal State’s web site: CSU Stanislaus Professors Publish Revealing Report On Methods For Treating Autism
Study Abstract: A comparison of intensive behavior analytic and eclectic treatments for young children with autism
More on ABA: ABA Resources for Recovery from Autism/PDD/Hyperlexia