Els for Autism Research Study is Published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Spring into Action Together (SIAT) is an Els for Autism® caregiver-implemented, early education program for children who are 18 months to 3 years of age. In collaboration with the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, a pilot study was conducted to examine outcomes for toddlers and young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism symptomatology following the SIAT four-week caregiver coaching program implemented by trained therapists. The results, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (JADD), conclude that a pilot study of SIAT improved social communication and language skills.

Through this study, researchers identified significant benefits of caregiver-directed coaching, which offers increased intervention accessibility due to decreased time demands and strategies that are intended to be generalized to everyday environments. The study also found improvement in caregiver knowledge and parental engagement with their child.

A parent participating in the study said, “The Spring into Action program helped our family understand and implement strategies based on our son’s individual needs in regard to communication, play skills, and engagement. The program was designed so that we felt empowered to implement the new skills into our daily lives! Our biggest takeaways were understanding the communication hierarchy, where my son was at, and the next step to help him grow, as well as a daily schedule that he thrived with. Previous to the [SIAT] program, we were not having success with the picture schedule and the SIA program used a manipulative-based schedule that helped him tremendously and so we implemented this into his day after the completion of the program.”

This study was funded by The Seaver Els Institute with support from the Els for Autism Foundation and the Beatrice & Samuel A. Seaver Foundation.

For more information about the pilot study and the SIAT program, contact Dr. Erin Brooker Lozott – erin.lozott@elsforautism.org