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document
One-year follow-up of the outcome of a randomized controlled trial of a home-based intervention programme for children with autism and developmental delay and their families . INTRODUCTION There is debate about the type and intensity of early childhood intervention that is most helpful for children with developmental problems . The aim of the study was to determine whether a home-based programme provided over 12 months resulted in sustained improvement in development and behaviour 12 months after the intervention ceased . The characteristics of the children and families who benefited most from the intervention were also studied . METHOD Randomized controlled trial . Participants A total of 59 children , aged 3-5 years , attending two early childhood intervention centres in Melbourne , Australia . Intervention Half of the subjects received an additional home-based programme consisting of 40 weekly visits . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Bayley Scales of Infant Development and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised , Preschool Behaviour Checklist , Bayley Behaviour Rating Scale and Behaviour Screening Questionnaire . All tests administered pre-intervention , following the intervention and 12 months later . Secondary outcome measures Family stress , support and empowerment . RESULTS Fifty-four children completed the assessments 12 months after conclusion of the intervention . Compared with the control group , improvement in aspects of cognitive development in the children who received the extra intervention was sustained 1 year later ( P= 0.007 ) while significant behavioural differences post intervention were not . Analyses of the data by the Reliable Change Index indicated improvement of clinical significance occurred in non-verbal areas . In contrast to the control group who deteriorated , language skills in the intervention group remained stable . Improvements were significantly associated with higher stress in the families . CONCLUSION Improvements following the provision of a home-based programme to preschool children with developmental disabilities were sustained 1 year later . Children from highly stressed families appeared to benefit most , reinforcing the importance of involving families in early childhood intervention programmes .
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Intervention_Educational
home-based intervention programme
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Intervention_Educational
early childhood intervention
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Intervention_Educational
Intervention Half of the subjects received an additional home-based programme consisting of 40 weekly visits
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Outcome_Mental
sustained improvement in development and behaviour
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Outcome_Mental
Bayley Scales of Infant Development and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Revised
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Outcome_Mental
Preschool Behaviour Checklist , Bayley Behaviour Rating Scale and Behaviour Screening Questionnaire
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Outcome_Mental
outcome measures Family stress , support and empowerment
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Outcome_Mental
improvement in aspects of cognitive development
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Outcome_Mental
behavioural differences
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Outcome_Mental
Reliable Change Index
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Outcome_Mental
non-verbal areas .
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Outcome_Mental
language skills
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Outcome_Mental
stress
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism and developmental delay
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
developmental problems
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Participant_Sample-size
59
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Participant_Age
3-5 years
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Participant_Sample-size
Fifty-four
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Participant_Age
children