What do we know about effective interventions for children with ASD?

New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline

One guideline… whole person… whole of life… everyone’s responsibility.

In April 2008, the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline was launched. The aim of the guideline is to improve services for people with ASD and their families and whānau.

The guideline was developed through an intensive collaboration and consultation process which involved overseas and New Zealand researchers and experts, individuals with ASD, parents of children with ASD, and medical, educational and community providers. The result is a single, credible source of overseas and New Zealand evidence, experience and practice in diagnosing and treating ASD, supporting children and adults with ASD, teaching children and young adults with ASD, employing people with ASD, and living well with ASD.

The information in the NZ ASD Guideline is intended to help improve the advice, support, services and care for people with ASD, and their families. The guideline is for people with ASD and their families and whānau, service providers and professionals, and government agencies.

The guideline is not a wish list, or a ‘how to’ manual. It is a technical document. The Ministries of Health and Education will be investing in translating the technical information into practical information for individuals, parents, and service providers. It is intended that the guideline will be updated regularly on the web with new research and evidence, and become a living guideline.

For more information about the NZ ASD Guideline, or to order or download a copy visit the Ministry of Health’s website.

What does the evidence say?

The Ministry of Education, Special Education is already drawing on the evidence from the NZ ASD Guideline as we lead and manage a research and professional learning programme aimed at improving the quality of education and support for children and young people with ASD.

The NZ ASD Guideline includes a section titled ‘Education for learners with ASD’ which deals with the range of assessments and interventions for children and young people with ASD in education settings. A comprehensive review of up-to-date evidence was carried out to develop this section. The current evidence points to the importance of good quality early intervention for positive outcomes for children with ASD. While a range of intervention approaches exist, no one model has been shown to meet the needs of all children. However, the following characteristics of quality intervention programmes have been identified:

• Making the earliest possible start to intervention
• Individualising services for children and families and whānau
• Providing systematic ‘planful’ teaching
• Providing a curriculum that meets the need of the child with ASD
• Intensity of engagement of the child
• Sustainable family involvement
• Structured environments
• Developmentally appropriate practices
• Intervention in natural environments and with access to typically developing children.

Education, through early childhood education services and schools, plays a central part in the life of any child or young person. Because of the difficulties experienced by people with ASD, careful planning and support is important to ensure the young person has meaningful learning opportunities and is fully included in the life of the school or early childhood education service. Children and young people with ASD can and do learn social and communication skills, and manage their stress and behaviour with effective teaching and an appropriately structured environment.

Addressing the needs of a young person with ASD at school or in early childhood education services requires a team approach. Those who spend the most time with the young person (especially their families and whānau) will understand their abilities and difficulties, special interests and fears. Families and whānau are likely to have developed many strategies that, when shared, will help everyone to tune into the young person's unique needs. Moreover, the evidence indicates that young people with ASD develop most effectively when strategies are used consistently across the home and education settings.