Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)
Contents
Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)
Basic Characteristics
- Description
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is an intensive, one on one behavioral intervention program that targets children 4 years or younger. Therapy is from 20-40 hours per week, with the best outcome at 40 hours per week. The UCLA model is one well known clinic based EIBI program, with initially reported rates of 47% recovery.1 However, subsequently analysis into the "recovered" group showed that many of the subjects had scores that were significantly below the normal threshold post treatment, and no teacher or parent measures were used in the study to assess "recovery". It is likely that the actual "recovery" rate is much lower than initially reported. 2
EIBI programs are often confused with DTT because early EIBI programs mostly utilized DTT as a structured teaching format. However, modern EIBI programs may be composed of many different formats including NET, video-modeling, script-fading, picture activity schedules, and peer-mediated social skills training procedures.
ABA approach to behaviors such as aggression or tantrums is to identify the sources of reinforcement that the behaviors produce, such as attention or access to preferred items or foods. Children may also behave this way in order to have their needs met. EIBI programs treat these behaviors by teaching the child an alternative, appropriate method of getting their needs met.3
- Treatment outcome predictors
Gains from EIBI therapies are suggested to be correlated with the participants' initial language skills and ability to respond to joint attention initiations, functional play skills, frequency of requestion behaviors, nonverbal cognitive abilities, and early language development.3
- History
EIBI is based on principles of learning and motivation, consisting of extinction, stimulus control, and generalization.
Neuroimaging
Concerns
Interventions
Pivotal Response Training Interventions are naturalistic and individualized. There have been no studies which examined outcomes of PRT vs. outcomes of other interventions such as Joint Attention or Symbolic Play
References
1.Reichow B. et al. Comprehensive synthesis of early intensive behavioral interventions for young children with autism based on the UCLA young autism project model.J Autism Dev Disord. 2009 Jan;39(1):23-41 PMID 18535894
2. Shea V.A perspective on the research literature related to early intensive behavioral intervention (Lovaas) for young children with autism.Autism. 2004 Dec;8(4):349-67. PMID 15556956
3. Granpeesheh D et. al. Applied behavior analytic interventions for children with autism: a description and review of treatment research.Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Jul-Sep;21(3):162-73. PMID 19758537
