An increasing number of interventions have some empirical support ; others are emerging as potentially efficacious .
This evidence base up date examines the level of empirical support for interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) younger than 5 years old .
The role of treatment fidelity on outcomes during a randomized field trial of an autism intervention
This r and omized field trial comparing Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research and Structured Teaching enrolled educators in 33 kindergarten-through-second- grade autism support classrooms and 119 students , aged 5–8 years in the School District of Philadelphia . Students were assessed at the beginning and end of the academic year using the Differential Ability Scales . Program fidelity was measured through video coding and use of a checklist . Outcomes were assessed using linear regression with r and om effects for classroom and student . Average fidelity was 57 % in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research classrooms and 48 % in Structured Teaching classrooms . There was a 9.2-point ( st and ard deviation = 9.6 ) increase in Differential Ability Scales score over the 8-month study period , but no main effect of program . There was a significant interaction between fidelity and group . In classrooms with either low or high program fidelity , students in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research experienced a greater gain in Differential Ability Scales score than students in Structured Teaching ( 11.2 vs 5.5 points and 11.3 vs 8.9 points , respectively ) . In classrooms with moderate fidelity , students in Structured Teaching  experienced a greater gain than  students in Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research  ( 10.1 vs 4.4 points ) . The results suggest significant variability in implementation of evidence -based practice s , even with supports , and also suggest the need to address challenging issues related to implementation measurement in community setting
An increasing number of interventions have some empirical support ; others are emerging as potentially efficacious .
This evidence base up date examines the level of empirical support for interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) younger than 5 years old .