CHAPEL HILL Preschoolers with autism benefit from high-quality classrooms, a new study shows, whether or not teachers employ popular treatment models used for decades.
The study followed 198 children for one school year and measured changes in communication skills and autism symptoms, said researcher Bryan Boyd, a fellow at UNCs Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
The study looked at two established models Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and their Parents, and TEACCH, which was originally Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children but is now known only by its acronym, as well as high-quality control classrooms.
LEAP classrooms are inclusive by design, Boyd said. Kids with autism share a classroom with their typically developing peers, who are trained to help kids with autism in social interaction.
The TEACCH classrooms in the study separated children into their own classrooms, though the TEACCH model doesnt say children with autism need to be in such classrooms.
The idea you can have one classroom thats LEAP and one thats TEACCH is a little artificial, said Laura Klinger, executive director of the TEACCH program in Chapel Hill. In their real-world life, (a teacher) uses many different approaches. Their classrooms might be an example of a control classroom.
The study found no significant differences between classroom types. TEACCH and LEAP are not ineffective, but kids in all types of classrooms made gains over time, Boyd said.
Klinger said shes pleased to see research done in real-life classrooms.
Im thrilled that the study shows improvement in social skills and communication skills and autism, she said. I imagine LEAP will say the same thing.
Klinger said high-quality classrooms are well organized, have strong parent-teacher partnerships, and take a positive team approach (not punishing).
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UNC study shows promise for children with autism