MSU Researcher Advocates New Way to Treat Autism
Thursday, February 11, 2010

Combined approach could work best, says paper

Children with autism would likely receive better treatment if supporters of the two major teaching methods focused on a combined approach, a Michigan State University psychologist argues in a new paper.

For years, the behavioral and developmental camps have debated which theory is more effective in teaching communication and other skills to preschool-aged children with autism. Basically, behaviorists believe learning occurs through reinforcement or reward while developmental advocates stress learning through important interactions with caregivers.

The behavioral and developmental treatment methods both can be effective on their own. But historically, advocates for each have rarely collaborated on treatment development for children with autism, meaning it is unknown whether a combined approach is more effective.

Brooke Ingersoll, MSU assistant professor of psychology, expects it is, as detailed in a new paper in the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Ingersoll is trained in both methods and has created a combined curriculum on social communication that she is teaching to preschool instructors in Michigan’s Ottawa, Livingston and Clinton counties. Through the MSU-funded project, the instructors then teach the method to parents of autistic children.

She said the combined method works, but it will probably take a few years of research to determine if it is more effective than a singular approach.

“I’m not necessarily advocating for a new philosophical approach,” Ingersoll said. “What I am advocating is more of a pragmatic approach that involves combining the interventions in different ways to meet the needs of the child or the caregiver. I think that will build better interventions.”

Adapted from an MSU press release.

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