Lovaas method

The Lovaas technique, a form of Applied Behavior Analysis, is a therapy for children diagnosed with autism or related disorders. It is an intensive behavioral intervention which is carried out early in the development of autistic children. It was developed by O. Ivar Lovaas. Based on the 1987 research done by Lovaas and research assistants, 47% of those children that received 30-40 hours of intensive therapy were mainstreamed into regular classrooms, and were classified as "indistinguishable" from their peers in follow-up studies. While the therapy has always relied principally on positive reinforcements of preferred behavior, Lovaas's original technique also included aversives such as striking or shouting "No!" at the child. These procedures have been widely abandoned for over a decade. A review of the literature by autistic activist Michelle Dawson finds that the method has become less effective since these stimuli were abandoned, but many replications of Lovaas' 1987 study have yielded results in the 40-50% range.