ABSTRACT
Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs) increasingly meet with families of young children who have been recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These families face a bewildering variety of treatment options and can benefit from working with NPs who can help them better understand those options and the likely outcomes for their children.
Purpose: This study describes outcomes for young children with autism, who were treated with either applied behavior analysis (ABA) or eclectic treatment. Nurse practitioners can use this information to help families choose treatments for their children.
Methods: Children diagnosed with autism received ABA (n = 50) or eclectic treatment (n = 32). Age-appropriate assessments in a variety of domains were made before and after up to 7 years of treatment.
Results: Initial scores were below normal in every domain except motor skills. Sixty percent of children had normal cognitive scores after ABA, compared with only 25% of children after eclectic treatment. Other domains also showed better outcomes after ABA than eclectic treatment.
Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners should be prepared to help families understand treatment options and their likely outcomes. The present study suggests that young children diagnosed with ASD can achieve normal levels of functioning in a variety of domains. These outcomes are much more likely after ABA than eclectic treatment.