Child Internal and External Factors

Abstract

In our prior chapters, we described what we have learned about our implementation practice and intervention practice in terms of quality and internal and external factors and investigated the potential impact of these variables in explaining variability in COMPASS outcomes. In this chapter we cover what we learned about child factors. Most autism research has focused on evidence-based practices with less attention to understanding the child internal and external factors that help explain treatment outcome. To date, the most robust results identify autism severity, IQ, and language as important treatment outcome predictors. Although when we analyzed these variables against other child and teacher variables in COMPASS, they were correlated directly with child outcomes bivariately, they were not unique predictors of treatment outcome multivariately within a regression analysis. That is, the impact of these traditional child variables was better explained by other malleable elements of the teacher-child interaction. Specifically, child engagement or how well the teacher was able to instruct the child was the only child variable that accounted for variance in treatment outcome. Moreover child differences based on IQ, language, adaptive behaver, and autism severity were uncorrelated with teacher adherence or ability to implement teaching plans. Finally, we had some indication that COMPASS may be particularly helpful for students with severe autism. Teachers of those with higher autism severity reported the highest satisfaction with COMPASS.