ABSTRACT
Autism is the best-documented disorder in child psychiatry. Currently, autism is understood as an organic developmental disorder affecting a child's ability to interact with and experience his or her world; although prognoses are diverse, it is viewed as a chronic disability that results in lifelong impairment for most individuals. This chapter discusses four diverse early intervention programs for children with autism— discrete trial training, LEAP, floor time, and TEACCH. For each program, it summarizes the concepts of learning, development, and autism, outlines intervention procedures, and illustrates connections between theory and practice. The chapter also discusses research outcomes for each of the four programs.
