Table 1: Summary of meta-analyses and reviews of interventions Intervention Intervention(s) Target behaviour(s) Mean effect (weak moderate strong) – – type School-based School-based social skills interventions Social behaviours (e.g. Peer-mediated and adult social interventions have social skills from preschool to secondary school initiation, responses, a moderate impact on engagement in the school (peer-mediated, individual). duration of interaction). environment.52,53 Social stories interviews (Short stories Transition support, Social stories interventions tend to have a weak that explain difficult social situations in reducing anxiety, impact on improving social skills.54 simple terms for children and young functional skills, people with ASD). improving social behaviours. Early Intensive Early intensive behavioural intervention Adaptive behaviours, Moderate-strong effect on adaptive behaviour and Behavioural (EIBI) for young children (<7 years) with language and cognitive IQ.24,55 Intervention parental inclusion. skills. Cost savings to society for improved functioning (EIBI) Cost of EIBI is estimated as: $49,092 Adaptive behaviours, among children receiving EIBI more than offset per child or young person per year language and cognitive the costs of the intervention itself with savings to (average duration of EIBI is three skills. society estimated at over $1.5m across the years). lifetime of the child.24 Eclectic Variety of components used across the Cognitive skills, Can be beneficial if they are conceptually sound, Behavioural reviewed studies. Included behavioural skills and based on evidence and implemented well.56 combinations of a discrete trial, ABA, language. Improving behavioural treatments or approaches, overall functioning was naturalistic intervention and also an aim of the generalisation opportunities. interventions.
Table 1: Summary of meta-analyses and reviews of interventions Intervention type Intervention(s) Target behaviour(s) Mean effect (weak – moderate – strong) School-based social skills School-based social skills interventions from preschool to secondary school (peer-mediated, individual). Social stories interviews (Short stories that explain difficult social situations in simple terms for children and young people with ASD). Social behaviours (e.g. initiation, responses, duration of interaction). Transition support, reducing anxiety, functional skills, improving social behaviours. Peer-mediated and adult social interventions have a moderate impact on engagement in the school environment.52,53 Social stories interventions tend to have a weak impact on improving social skills.54 Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) Early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) for young children (<7 years) with parental inclusion. Cost of EIBI is estimated as: $49,092 per child or young person per year (average duration of EIBI is three years). Adaptive behaviours, language and cognitive skills. Adaptive behaviours, language and cognitive skills. Moderate-strong effect on adaptive behaviour and IQ.24,55 Cost savings to society for improved functioning among children receiving EIBI more than offset the costs of the intervention itself with savings to society estimated at over $1.5m across the lifetime of the child.24 Eclectic Behavioural Variety of components used across the reviewed studies. Included combinations of a discrete trial, ABA, behavioural treatments or approaches, naturalistic intervention and generalisation opportunities. Cognitive skills, behavioural skills and language. Improving overall functioning was also an aim of the interventions. Can be beneficial if they are conceptually sound, based on evidence and implemented well.56