For parents of preschoolers with autism, finding a classroom program for their child may have just gotten a little easier.
A new study has found that it's the quality of a teaching program -- not the model of instruction -- that seems to be most important to a student's success.
That means parents shouldn't fret when the local or available program is not a particular type, as long as it is considered good, said Samuel Odom, a co-author of the study and director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Autism spectrum disorder occurs in about one in 88 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with boys more likely to have the condition. Symptom severity can vary widely, but kids with autism typically have a hard time communicating and interacting with others.
The new research, recently published online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, showed that two widely used comprehensive treatment models -- called LEAP and TEACCH -- were no better than high-quality special education preschool programs.
When quality factors were present in a classroom, the children's performance improved over time, regardless of whether the teachers were using one of these two specialized teaching models or a more generalized special education focus, Odom said.
The key is not so much the philosophy of the teachers and staff or even the curriculum, but whether certain features associated with success are part of the classroom routine, he said.
Factors related to successful programs include a predictable classroom environment, individualized programming for students, emphasis on communication, and opportunities for social interaction with adults and potentially with other children with autism, Odom said.
LEAP stands for "learning experiences and alternative program for preschoolers and their parents," and it's designed to build more on an early childhood education curriculum with specific features that support the child with autism, Odom said.
TEACCH represents "training and education of autistic and related communication handicapped children," and creates an environment that focuses on the characteristics of autism, he added.
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Quality of instruction key for students with autism