[article]
| Titre : |
An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? |
| Type de document : |
Texte imprimé et/ou numérique |
| Auteurs : |
Giacomo VIVANTI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Arianna BENVENUTO, Auteur ; Barbara BATTAN, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur |
| Année de publication : |
2011 |
| Article en page(s) : |
4 p. |
| Langues : |
Anglais (eng) |
| Mots-clés : |
Autism Spectrum Disorders Early diagnosis andtreatment Cognitive and behavioral outcomes |
| Index. décimale : |
PER Périodiques |
| Résumé : |
Background: Neurocognitive models of autism suggest that starting a treatment at a younger age might be a
critical factor in promoting optimal outcomes. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between age at start
of treatment and outcomes in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in Italy.
Methods: Thirty-nine children between 22 and 77 months of age diagnosed with ASDs were divided into
two groups on the basis of their age at start of a community-based behavioral treatment. Measures of severity of
symptoms, cognitive abilities and adaptive functioning were collected at the beginning of the treatment (Time 1)
and one year after (Time 2) to examine group differences in treatment outcomes. Our working hypothesis was that
children who started the treatment at a younger age would show a more positive response to treatment compared
to children who started at later age.
Results: Compared with children who received a diagnosis and started the treatment at a later age, children
in the early treatment group showed a better outcome in terms of attenuation of symptoms severity. No group
differences were found in terms of adaptive functioning and cognitive abilities, with both groups equally improving
their performance.
Conclusions: Age at start of the treatment seems to be an important factor to promote gains in the social-
communication domain. However, gains in adaptive functioning and cognitive skills in our sample were not related to
age. The positive effect of a community-based intervention in children with an early diagnosis of ASDs might be due
to the plasticity of neural systems in age-dependent stages. The possibility that early intervention could substantially
alter the course of behavioral and brain development in children with autism points to the urgent need for more
research on treatment in this population. |
| En ligne : |
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2165-7890.1000102 |
| Permalink : |
https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=153 |
in Autism - Open Access > 1-1 (December 2011) . - 4 p.
[article] An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Giacomo VIVANTI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Arianna BENVENUTO, Auteur ; Barbara BATTAN, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur . - 2011 . - 4 p. Langues : Anglais ( eng) in Autism - Open Access > 1-1 (December 2011) . - 4 p.
| Mots-clés : |
Autism Spectrum Disorders Early diagnosis andtreatment Cognitive and behavioral outcomes |
| Index. décimale : |
PER Périodiques |
| Résumé : |
Background: Neurocognitive models of autism suggest that starting a treatment at a younger age might be a
critical factor in promoting optimal outcomes. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between age at start
of treatment and outcomes in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in Italy.
Methods: Thirty-nine children between 22 and 77 months of age diagnosed with ASDs were divided into
two groups on the basis of their age at start of a community-based behavioral treatment. Measures of severity of
symptoms, cognitive abilities and adaptive functioning were collected at the beginning of the treatment (Time 1)
and one year after (Time 2) to examine group differences in treatment outcomes. Our working hypothesis was that
children who started the treatment at a younger age would show a more positive response to treatment compared
to children who started at later age.
Results: Compared with children who received a diagnosis and started the treatment at a later age, children
in the early treatment group showed a better outcome in terms of attenuation of symptoms severity. No group
differences were found in terms of adaptive functioning and cognitive abilities, with both groups equally improving
their performance.
Conclusions: Age at start of the treatment seems to be an important factor to promote gains in the social-
communication domain. However, gains in adaptive functioning and cognitive skills in our sample were not related to
age. The positive effect of a community-based intervention in children with an early diagnosis of ASDs might be due
to the plasticity of neural systems in age-dependent stages. The possibility that early intervention could substantially
alter the course of behavioral and brain development in children with autism points to the urgent need for more
research on treatment in this population. |
| En ligne : |
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2165-7890.1000102 |
| Permalink : |
https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=153 |
|
An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? in Autism - Open Access, 1-1 (December 2011)
