Clinic Notes: Recovering From Autism with ABA

We have been telling parents for years that ABA is the best treatment for autism. But then we quickly add that there is no cure for autism and it is a life long condition. Well, maybe we were wrong. We have had data for some time suggesting that it may be possible to prevent autism in high-risk toddlers by using intensive ABA (See www.aba4autism.com). Now a recent study finds that one in ten children given intense ABA at an early age recover from autism. (See WebMD Health News for details). The results of this study do not surprise me. Many of the kids who started ABA early in my clinic seem to be "normal" by age six or seven. I think the problem now is finding affordable and competent ABA for all of the kids with autism who are out there.