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Designing Research Studies on Psychosocial Interventions in Autism

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Abstract

To address methodological challenges in research on psychosocial interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a model was developed for systematically validating and disseminating interventions in a sequence of steps. First, initial efficacy studies are conducted to establish interventions as promising. Next, promising interventions are assembled into a manual, which undergoes pilot-testing. Then, randomized clinical trials test efficacy under controlled conditions. Finally, effectiveness studies evaluate outcomes in community settings. Guidelines for research designs at each step are presented. Based on the model, current priorities in ASD research include (a) preparation for efficacy and effectiveness trials by developing manuals for interventions that have shown promise and (b) initial efficacy studies on interventions for core features of ASD such as social reciprocity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood, Box 671, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Tristram Smith

  2. Yale University School of Nursing and Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Lawrence Scahill

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Geraldine Dawson

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Donald Guthrie

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Catherine Lord

  6. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Samuel Odom

  7. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Sally Rogers

  8. Division of Pediatric Translational Research and Treatment Development, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Ann Wagner

Authors
  1. Tristram Smith
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  2. Lawrence Scahill
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  3. Geraldine Dawson
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  4. Donald Guthrie
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  5. Catherine Lord
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  6. Samuel Odom
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  7. Sally Rogers
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  8. Ann Wagner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tristram Smith.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institutes of Health, or any other part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Smith, T., Scahill, L., Dawson, G. et al. Designing Research Studies on Psychosocial Interventions in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 354–366 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0173-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0173-3

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