Treatment Evaluation and Screening of Autism

Sammanfattning: The aims of this thesis were: to review studies of treatment evaluation from the years 1992-2002; to evaluate the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children, TEACCH, treatment model for adults and children with autism; to develop and evaluate a screening instrument for early detection of autism and other developmental deficits, SEEK. The instruments used were: the Altman Checklist for Evaluating Medical Research; the Adult and Adolescent PsychoEducational Profile, AAPEP; and the SEEK. The first study reviewed 79 studies on treatment evaluation. The second study evaluated the TEACCH program in group home and daily work for adults in southern Sweden. The third study evaluated a group home for children in southern Sweden utilising the TEACCH program. The fourth study evaluated a screening instrument for the detection of infants with autism and developmental deficits. The results showed that treatment of autism is not sufficiently evaluated. Of treatment systems only TEACCH seems to have some evidence. TEACCH was shown to significantly improve independence and other skills of adults with autism over 2½ years. It can therefore be implied that the functional quality of life increased for the adults. A group home utilising TEACCH was found to be a relevant alternative for children with autism, mental retardation and severe behaviour problems. The SEEK instrument approach pointed out a suitable method of early screening of infants with developmental deficits. It needs further development to sharpen its capacity to identify infants with developmental deviancies.