Skip to main content

Autism Intervention Effectiveness Unchanged by Increased Amounts

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 18, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 18, 2024 -- For children with autism, intervention effects do not increase with increased amounts of intervention, according to a study published online June 24 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues examined whether different metrics of intervention amount are associated with intervention effects on any developmental domain among young children with autism using data from studies taken from a recent meta-analysis of early interventions. The analysis included 144 studies with 9,038 children (mean age, 49.3 months).

The researchers found no evidence for a significant, positive association between any index of intervention amount and intervention effect size when considered within the intervention type based on any of the meta-regression models.

"We concluded that there was not rigorous evidence supporting the notion that increasing the amount of intervention produces better intervention outcomes," Sandbank said in a statement. "Instead, we recommend that practitioners consider what amount of intervention would be developmentally appropriate for the child and supportive to the family."

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted July 2024

Read this next

Pulmonary Embolism More Common in Children Than Previously Thought

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- Pulmonary embolism (PE) is more common in children than previously thought, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2025...

Half of Youth-Serving Clinicians Screen for Substance Use Disorder at Every Well Visit

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- Just over half of youth-serving clinicians report that they routinely screen adolescents for substance use disorders (SUDs) at every well visit...

Many Heart Failure Patients Do Not See a Cardiologist Annually

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- About 40 percent of patients with heart failure diagnosis do not see a cardiologist annually, according to a study published online May 18 in the...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.