Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention

(EIBI)

Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention

(EIBI)

EIBI and Lovaas (1987)EIBI and Lovaas (1987)

UCLA Young Autism Project (YAP) 1970-1984

Early Less discrimination between environments More likely to generalize and maintain treatment gains

Intensive 40+ hours per week

Behavioural Intervention Using Modern learning theory (Years 1-3) Build complex behaviour and suppress pathological

UCLA Young Autism Project (YAP) 1970-1984

Early Less discrimination between environments More likely to generalize and maintain treatment gains

Intensive 40+ hours per week

Behavioural Intervention Using Modern learning theory (Years 1-3) Build complex behaviour and suppress pathological

EIBI and Lovaas (1987)EIBI and Lovaas (1987)

1st year: Reducing self-stimulatory and aggressive behaviour, teaching imitation, toy play, extending treatment into family

2nd year: Teaching expressive language, play with peers, extended to community (preschool)

3rd year: Teaching of appropriate and varied expression of emotions, reading, writing, arithmetic, observational learning

1st year: Reducing self-stimulatory and aggressive behaviour, teaching imitation, toy play, extending treatment into family

2nd year: Teaching expressive language, play with peers, extended to community (preschool)

3rd year: Teaching of appropriate and varied expression of emotions, reading, writing, arithmetic, observational learning

Lovaas (1987) ResultsLovaas (1987) Results

Experiment

(n=19)

Control

(n=40)

Normal 47% 2%

Mildly retarded

40% 45%

Profoundly retarded

10% 53%

VideoVideo

Autism Behavioural Intervention Queensland (ABIQ)

ABIQ.wmv

Autism Behavioural Intervention Queensland (ABIQ)

ABIQ.wmv

Neurobiology of AutismNeurobiology of Autism

Electrophysiological studies: EEG and ERP Neural basis of face processing, non-verbal

Face sensitive ERP component (N170) Large negative ERP component with a latency of 170ms

Electrophysiological studies: EEG and ERP Neural basis of face processing, non-verbal

Face sensitive ERP component (N170) Large negative ERP component with a latency of 170ms

Neurobiology of AutismNeurobiology of Autism

Lateralization Failure of normal right hemisphere specialization for faces

Lateralization Failure of normal right hemisphere specialization for faces

Face ProcessingFace Processing

Autistic Development

Perceptual/Cognitive Hypothesis Perceptual binding (extracting), general deficit (FG), and/or

dysfunction of a neural mechanism

Social Motivation Hypothesis (SMH) Primary and secondary deficits (all behavioural and

physiological deficits are the result of a deficit in social motivation)

Autistic Development

Perceptual/Cognitive Hypothesis Perceptual binding (extracting), general deficit (FG), and/or

dysfunction of a neural mechanism

Social Motivation Hypothesis (SMH) Primary and secondary deficits (all behavioural and

physiological deficits are the result of a deficit in social motivation)

Social RewardsSocial Rewards

“Social motivation impairments are related to difficulties in forming

representations of the reward value of social stimuli” (Dawson, 2005)

Dopamine pathway is activated by social rewards

“Social motivation impairments are related to difficulties in forming

representations of the reward value of social stimuli” (Dawson, 2005)

Dopamine pathway is activated by social rewards

Reward value Motivation

Attention to faces (exposure+)

Specialization

Implications for EIBIImplications for EIBI

Make social interaction more rewarding and meaningful

Interventions using ABA and EIBI reward using conditioned reinforcement

Make social interaction more rewarding and meaningful

Interventions using ABA and EIBI reward using conditioned reinforcement

EIBI may facilitate the development of the face processing system

EIBI may facilitate the development of the face processing system

Criticism of EIBICriticism of EIBI

Methodological problems in research Which children are good candidates? Ethical concerns Financial matters

Methodological problems in research Which children are good candidates? Ethical concerns Financial matters

Future ResearchFuture Research

Using MRI without sedation to assess brain development in high-risk infant siblings (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2005)

Behavioural enrichment and behavioural motivation to study brain plasticity (Kilgard)

EIBI to reach normal brain functioning in terms of neural speed and cortical specialization (Dawson et al., 2005)

Using MRI without sedation to assess brain development in high-risk infant siblings (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2005)

Behavioural enrichment and behavioural motivation to study brain plasticity (Kilgard)

EIBI to reach normal brain functioning in terms of neural speed and cortical specialization (Dawson et al., 2005)