Study released on effects of supervision variables in treating ASD
Leading autism treatment provider, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), announced today a joint study with Chapman University about the effects of variables in treating autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The evaluation provides the most up-to-date, scientifically sound evidence to CARD and other autism therapy specialists in order to provide the best treatment to those with ASD.
CARD and Chapman University analyzed a pool of more than 800 children from ages 18 months to 12 years. Results revealed important determinations in regards to supervision. For example, being a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) and the years of experience an analyst has have a significant direct impact on the autistic individual's treatment success rate, while increased hours of supervision above the standard ratio and caseload of the BCBA do not. These findings will help guide those who treat individuals with autism better plan, allocate time and direct resources accurately toward treatment plans.
"We are consistently finding that the single most important factor in a child's treatment outcome is the number of hours of therapy that they have received," said Dr. Dennis Dixon, CARD's Director of Research and Development. "What this new study adds is a better understanding of what matters in regards to supervision of treatment. We are now able to improve treatment efficiency while also improving outcomes for every child."
The study is a collaboration led by CARD's founder Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh and Dr. Dennis Dixon and Dr. Erik Linstead, Assistant Professor of Chapman University's Schmid College of Science and Technology. The combined team of CARD and Chapman University proved to be successful in learning more about the best course of action for treating those with ASD.
"It is tremendously exciting to see such impactful work coming from this collaboration between CARD and Dr. Linstead's team here at Chapman," said Dr. Andrew Lyon, Dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology. "The ability to use advanced analytics tools to make better decisions about clinical standards of care is likely to completely transform how we approach healthcare for future generations. With this research collaboration, we see a promising example of this shift in the context of ASD."
The paper appears in the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice.
More information: Dennis R. Dixon et al, An Evaluation of the Impact of Supervision Intensity, Supervisor Qualifications, and Caseload on Outcomes in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavior Analysis in Practice (2016). DOI: 10.1007/s40617-016-0132-1
