Graduation Date

12-2015

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department or Program

Education

Department or Program Chair

Elizabeth Truesdell PhD

First Reader

Madalienne F. Peters, EdD

Second Reader

Elizabeth Truesdell, PhD

Abstract

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) provides a framework for educators to assist children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to increase independence and positive social skills in the classroom (Reichow, 2012). Preschoolers with ASD who do not have access to programs tend to display negative and socially inappropriate behavior, such as acts of aggression, withdrawal, and inability to attend to lessons. Studies on program effectiveness documented that preschool children who received EIBI scored higher on IQ, language comprehension, imitation, expressive language, nonverbal communication, play, stereotyped behaviors and adaptive functioning compared to preschool children who do not receive EIBI. The literature revealed that children with ASD who received EIBI maintained successful relationships with peers through joint attention, displayed increased use of appropriate language, and demonstrated an interest in participating in group classroom activities (Barber, Saffo, Gilpin, Craft, & Goldsetin, 2015). The purpose of the study was to evaluate student development on language, behavior, and peer relationships by analyzing pre- and post- assessments gathered over a three-year period. The study included data collected on a child in a general education non-profit preschool setting. The study was evaluative in nature and documented student progress toward behavior improvement as part of the agency’s evaluation policy results indicated that EIBI contributed to increasing the child’s socially appropriate behavior, language development, and peer interaction. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) Effects of Early Intervention for Children With ASD

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