Autism-Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Outcome Study of Intensive Day Treatment for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Nazanin Alavi*, Nasreen Roberts, and Elizabeth DeGrace

Objectives: a) To study the characteristics of children referred to day treatment for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). b) To study association between outcome and the variables understudy.

Method: This was a retrospective chart review of all children and adolescents with PDD, who attended a hospital based Day treatment program. Demographic data and variables such as type of community classroom they came from, Length of Stay (LOS), full scale IQ scores, DSM-IV Diagnosis and type of placement at discharge were extracted. Descriptive statistic was used for categorical data and multinomial logistic regression was used for association between outcome and variables understudy.

Results: There was an association between gender and outcome, females had better outcome than males. 2/3 of the patients with and without comorbidities had a significant reduction in behavioral symptoms allowing successful reintegration into community schools.

Conclusions: A proportion of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder(ASD) present with severe emotional and behavioral dysregulation which are unmanageable. These children have multiple comorbidities and require more intensive longitudinal assessment by a skilled multidisciplinary team and specific evidence -based interventions to enable them to return to community school. Intensive Day treatment in a therapeutic classroom by skilled multidisciplinary staff reduces the impairing behaviors and allows families and schools to better manage these children.