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Improvements in Social and Adaptive Functioning Following Short-Duration PRT Program: A Clinical Replication

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Abstract

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an empirically validated behavioral treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of the current study was to assess the efficacy of PRT for ten cognitively-able preschool-aged children with ASD in the context of a short-duration (4-month) treatment model. Most research on PRT used individual behavioral goals as outcome measures, but the current study utilized standardized assessments of broader-based social communication and adaptive skills. The children made substantial gains; however, magnitude and consistency of response across measures were variable. The results provide additional support for the efficacy of PRT as well as evidence for improvements in higher-order social communication and adaptive skill development within the context of a short-duration PRT model.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study came from The Deitz Family, the Harris Professorship at the Yale Child Study Center given to Kevin Archer Pelphrey, Allied World, and Autism Science Foundation. We wish to thank the families of the children included in this study for their time and participation. We also wish to thank our colleagues Cara Keifer, Avery Voos, Jonathan Tirrell, and Cara Cordeaux for their contributions to the treatment work and clinical characterization of the sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, 207900, New Haven, CT, 06520-7900, USA

    Pamela Ventola, Hannah E. Friedman, Laura C. Anderson, Julie M. Wolf, Devon Oosting, Jennifer Foss-Feig, Nicole McDonald, Fred Volkmar & Kevin A. Pelphrey

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  1. Pamela Ventola
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  2. Hannah E. Friedman
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  3. Laura C. Anderson
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  4. Julie M. Wolf
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  5. Devon Oosting
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  8. Fred Volkmar
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  9. Kevin A. Pelphrey
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Correspondence to Pamela Ventola.

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Ventola, P., Friedman, H.E., Anderson, L.C. et al. Improvements in Social and Adaptive Functioning Following Short-Duration PRT Program: A Clinical Replication. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 2862–2870 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2145-3

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