A Pilot Study of a Culturally Adapted Early Intervention for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in China

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to pilot test the effects of a culturally adapted early intervention influenced by the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) on reduction of autism symptoms and severity categorization for young children with autism spectrum disorders in China. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention groups. The children’s age ranged from 24 to 60 months in this study. Children in the control group ( n = 20) received eclectic intervention services for a minimum of 2 hr per day, 10 hr per week, while children in the intervention group ( n = 16) received the culturally adapted intervention 1 hr per day, 5 hr per week, plus 5 hr per week of the same services as the control group for a total of 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, children in the intervention group demonstrated a significant decrease in autism symptoms and improved severity categorization, compared with children in the control group. Future studies and implications of the culturally adapted early intervention in China are discussed.