The findings did not support the widely reported generalisation ' difficulties ' associated with autism .
Research ers have generally considered autistic individuals to have difficulties generalising learned skills across novel context s. Successful generalisation is necessary for an intervention to have benefits in everyday life beyond the original learning environment .
We conducted a systematic review of r and omised controlled trials of early social communication interventions for children with autism in order to explore generalisation and its measurement .
Randomized comparative efficacy study of parent-mediated interventions for toddlers with autism.
OBJECTIVE This study compared effects of two parent-mediated interventions on joint engagement outcomes as augmentations of an early intervention program for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) . METHOD Participants included 86 toddlers ( range 22 - 36 months ) with ASD and their primary caregiver . Caregiver-child dyads were r and omized to receive 10 weeks of h and s-on parent training in a naturalistic , developmental behavioral intervention ( joint attention , symbolic play , engagement and regulation-JASPER ) or a parent-only psychoeducational intervention ( PEI ) . Dose was controlled in terms of research er-parent contact and early intervention services received by the child . RESULTS Results yielded significant effects of the JASPER intervention on the primary outcome of joint engagement . The treatment effect was large ( Cohen 's f² = .69 ) and maintained over the 6-month follow-up . JASPER effects were also found on secondary outcomes of play diversity , highest play level achieved , and generalization to the child 's classroom for child-initiated joint engagement . The PEI intervention was found to be effective in reducing parenting stress associated with child characteristics . All secondary effects were generally small to moderate . CONCLUSIONS These data highlight the benefit of a brief , targeted , parent-mediated intervention on child outcomes . Future studies may consider the combination of JASPER and PEI treatments for optimal parent and child outcomes . Trial registry no. NCT00999778
The findings did not support the widely reported generalisation ' difficulties ' associated with autism .
Research ers have generally considered autistic individuals to have difficulties generalising learned skills across novel context s. Successful generalisation is necessary for an intervention to have benefits in everyday life beyond the original learning environment .
We conducted a systematic review of r and omised controlled trials of early social communication interventions for children with autism in order to explore generalisation and its measurement .