Advancing early interventions for autism

Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin.

By Emma Bryce
9 February 2021 | 1 min read
Animation by Lottie Kingslake; script by Emma Bryce

Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin. To refine these early interventions, researchers are searching for their active ingredients and testing them in larger, longer-term studies.