Comparative efficacy of an early intervention "parent and me" program for infants showing signs of autism: The Baby JASPER model.

This study tested an 8-week group program for babies (12-22 months) showing early autism signs. All families attended classes and received either specialized JASPER parent training or general education. Both groups improved significantly in communication, play, and thinking skills, with benefits lasting 2 months later. Babies gained an average of 10+ developmental points.

The study suggests early intervention can help babies and families, though different approaches may work better for different children depending on family history.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated a group-based early intervention program for infants aged 12-22 months showing early autism signs. All participants received standard early childhood curriculum, with families randomly assigned to either JASPER (Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation) parent training or psychoeducation. Both groups showed substantial improvements in social-communication, play, and cognition over 8 weeks, with gains maintained at 2-month follow-up. All infants gained over 10 points in developmental quotient.

The JASPER group showed increased child-initiated joint engagement and play levels, while the psychoeducation group improved in joint attention assessments. Familial autism risk moderated treatment effects, with non-familial risk infants in JASPER showing greatest gains.

Early group-based interventions show promise for infants displaying autism signs, with both JASPER and psychoeducation approaches yielding benefits. Clinicians should consider family autism history when selecting interventions, as this may influence treatment response and optimize outcomes for individual children.

Sample size not reported, limiting interpretation of statistical power. Short 8-week intervention period and 2-month follow-up provide limited long-term outcome data. Unclear methodology for outcome measurement and potential selection bias in recruitment of infants showing early signs.

Despite important advancements into the early detection of autism, there are still few empirically supported interventions for children under the age of two years who are showing early signs. Caregiver-mediated interventions have gained in popularity as a method for delivering support to the child and family. The current study builds on current work by enrolling a comparatively large cohort of infants (ages 12-22 months of age) displaying early signs of autism into a randomized controlled intervention program. Infants and parents received a group-based program using a standard early childhood curriculum.

In addition, all families were randomly assigned to receive parent training in the form of either parent-mediated Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation (JASPER) training or psychoeducation. Infants in both classrooms made substantial gains in social-communication, play, and cognition during a brief, 8-week period. All infants gained over an average of 10 points in DQ and increased in standardized measures of social-communication and play, with these gains maintaining at a 2-month follow-up visit. The classroom that also received JASPER increased in child initiated joint engagement and play level during dyadic interactions with their parents, while the classroom that received psychoeducation increased in joint attention during a standardized assessment delivered by an independent assessor.

Infant familial risk for autism (older sibling with autism) also moderated the effect of treatment on child initiated joint engagement where infants in the JASPER classroom without familial risk made the most gains from baseline to exit of the program. This study highlights the promise of intervening at the earliest stages to promote positive outcomes for children and families.