April 30, 2013
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online
For most babies, a game of peek-a-boo can be fun, entertaining and full of laughter. However, infants with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find the game unpleasant and disturbing.
That type of social disconnect is a telltale sign of ASD, which often worsens as newborns develop into children and adults.
New research from the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara has found switching games that are disturbing to children with those the infant prefers can help lessen the infants ASD symptoms, and potentially alleviate the condition altogether, according to a new report in theJournal of Positive Behavioral Interventions.
The centers director, Lynn Koegel said the game regimen her team developed is modified Pivotal Response Treatment (PVT), which is based on principles of positive motivation.
In the study, the researchers coached parents to identify and focus on the most positive interactions they have with their child.
We had them play with their infants for short periods, and then give them some kind of social reward, Koegel said. Over time, we conditioned the infants to enjoy all the activities that were presented by pairing the less desired activities with the highly desired ones.
Koegel added a social reward is preferable to a physical or food reward because it continues the all-important personal interaction between parent and child.
The idea is to get them more interested in people, she continued, to focus on their socialization. If theyre avoiding people and avoiding interacting, that creates a whole host of other issues. They dont form friendships, and then they dont get the social feedback that comes from interacting with friends.
Continued here:
UCSB Researchers Develop New Treatment For Infants With Autism