Early intervention has been successful as conducted by Ivar Lovaas. He also used parent training and mainstreaming into a regular, preschool environment. When compared with a control group, it was found that the early intervention group had gained 20 IQ points and had made major advancements in their educational achievement. Some of these children were even able to advance from first to second grade in a regular classroom and were considered by their teachers to be well adjusted. Follow-up evaluations years later showed that these children had maintained their gains.
Parent training is another area that has been helpful in the treatment of autism.
Training parents in the skills necessary to address the wide variety of behaviors necessary to provide treatment to their children has been the main issue. Research has indicated the importance of teaching parents the procedural rules of behavior modification as opposed to teaching them how to achieve specific target behaviors. Parents have been learning these skills by using books, manuals, videos, and attending lectures. The results of parental involvement have been promising. Classroom instruction for autistic children has advanced considerably since legal and political battles and actions have forced the educational system to address the needs of children with autism.