Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2025

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism
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Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism

Published on: December 14, 2012

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Complex, low-intensity, individualised naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention in toddlers and

Christine M Freitag1, Marietta Kirchner2, Lukas D Sauer2

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|March 26, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The Frankfurt Early Intervention Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder (A-FFIP) did not significantly improve social communication in young children with ASD compared to usual care. However, A-FFIP showed potential benefits in reducing repetitive behaviors and enhancing executive functions.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) show promise for improving social communication in toddlers and preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
  • The Frankfurt Early Intervention Program for ASD (A-FFIP) is a low-intensity, complex NDBI designed to target core developmental domains in children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of the A-FFIP intervention over one year in improving social communication in children with ASD.
  • To compare A-FFIP to Early Intervention as Usual (EIAU) in a phase-III, randomized controlled trial.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study involving 134 children aged 24-66 months diagnosed with ASD.
  • Participants were allocated to either the manualized A-FFIP intervention or EIAU.
  • The primary outcome was the change in core ASD symptoms, measured by the Brief Observation for Communication Change (BOSCC) total score, from baseline to 12 months.

Main Results:

  • The study found no significant difference in the primary outcome (social communication) between the A-FFIP and EIAU groups.
  • The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly impacted trial procedures and led to reduced improvements across both groups.
  • Secondary analyses indicated improvements in parent-rated repetitive behavior and parent- and teacher-rated executive functions for the A-FFIP group.

Conclusions:

  • The A-FFIP program did not demonstrate superiority over EIAU in improving social communication, cognitive, or behavioral outcomes in children with ASD after one year.
  • A-FFIP may offer benefits in addressing repetitive behaviors and executive functions in this population.
  • Further research is needed to explore the specific components of A-FFIP that may contribute to these observed secondary benefits.
Abstract

Keywords:
Naturalisticautismbehaviouraldevelopmentalrandomised‐controlledrepetitive behavioursocial communication

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