What is Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention?
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, also referred to as EIBI, is a type of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) that children under the age of 5 can participate in. This intervention has been established as one of the more effective interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
EIBI PROGRAMS
EIBI programs generally recommend 20 to 40 hours per week. This amount of time is said to have the most success among children, especially when children begin the therapy before 2. Of course every child’s needs are unique and less hours may be needed for your child. This intervention combines both unstructured and structured teaching, meaning that one specific skill being taught may be learned and taught better at a table while another skill may be learned and taught better through play.
ABA therapy teaching approach focuses on certain behaviors to help the child learn new skills that can be applied to their life daily. ABA analyzes behavior as a process consisting of three steps: the antecedent, the behavior, and the consequence. The antecedent is what happens before the behavior, the behavior is just that, and the consequence is after the behavior. When the consequence is positive, it increases the likelihood of that certain behavior happening again.
REINFORCE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
ABA, and EIBI, focus on this process, mainly through the use of positive reinforcement. When a child's behavior is positively reinforced, they are more likely to continue that behavior in the future. By ignoring an undesired behavior and not giving any positive reinforcement, the child can learn that this is undesired. EIBI incorporates clear instruction or cues which help the child to respond.
The program consists of individualized instruction provided at home or in a clinic. Studies indicate that EIBI programs can aid in the reduction for the need for special services and gains in development in children with autism. EIBI programs teach children important skills, including language and communication, play and social skills, independence, and cognitive and academic skills.
EIBI is a structured approach to teaching that involves discrete trial training (DTT) and 1:1 adult to child treatment done at home or in school. DTT is a certain technique that breaks skills down into smaller or discrete steps or components. In EIBI, more complex skills or tasks are broken down into smaller components to help the child develop the skill.
WHY EARLY INTENSIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION IS IMPORTANT
EIBI aims to improve a child’s functioning within many different areas, changing the development of a child’s autism spectrum disorder. An obstacle for children with autism and other developmental disabilities is the rate of learning, which is typically slowed down, resulting in a possible learning gap between them and their peers. ABA through EIBI works to increase the rate of learning at an early age to keep the learning gap from getting too big and close the gap altogether. EIBI is important because it helps a child with autism learn appropriate behavior at an early age which helps them carry that learned behavior through life. EIBI can help social behavior, which improves the child’s self-esteem and reduces the possibility of diagnosed mental health problems later down the line.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EIBI?
Evidence shows that IQ, adaptive behavior, socialization, and communication areas all achieve major growth with EIBI. Laying a foundation during early childhood through EIBI has many benefits and supports children, parents, or the family as a whole. EIBI has specifically shown an increase in cognitive and adaptive functioning, meaning their ability to learn and cope with their environment. This intervention has also shown results of a possible reduction in autism severity.
Early childhood prevention programs, in general, have shown a variety of different benefits in academic achievement, behavior, education progression and attainment, and improved labor market success. Programs that offer child support in a smaller child-to-teacher ratio, in general, have shown more agreeable developments.
Early intervention can benefit your child's ability to learn through play. Purposeful play, which is learning while playing, is important for a child's development. Learning through play is also more fun for the child, which keeps them more motivated. Starting intervention early also helps to establish EIBI strategies within their normal routine.
A final benefit to early intervention is the family's ability to help the child reach their full potential. EIBI is an educational experience for your child and you. Starting with early intervention allows you the opportunity to be better equipped with the necessary tools to help your child as they face developmental challenges.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS EIBI?
Outcome studies have indicated that the earlier treatment is started, the better the results are. With EIBI, parents and teachers under professional supervision can identify specific skills that the child lacks. They are then able to break down the steps that make up the skill and teach them separately. This makes the learning of the skill more palpable for the child, making the learning process more successful.
EIBI is most effective because it enables children to learn everyday skills that allow them to be more functional in everyday life. The EIBI treatment schedule is organized over several years to ensure that the child is learning at their own pace and working on skills that they need specifically.
There have been numerous studies to indicate the effectiveness of EIBI. Some studies show positive results, while others do not show much in either a positive or negative direction. One study done by the Association for Science in Autism Treatment showed that while EIBI may be entirely effective for some children, its benefits can vary in degree among all children with autism.
A major factor of EIBI is that the treatment is specialized to each child; therefore, even if one aspect was not improved, such as IQ, another may have been improved, such as socialization and communication. Another study comparing children receiving EIBI to those going through routine treatment found that children receiving EIBI had IQs an average of 11 points higher than those not receiving EIBI.
The effectiveness of EIBI is dependent on each child and their capabilities. Some children need different treatment from others. However, as EIBI aims to intervene as early as possible, enough studies consistently show improvement in several areas. Improvement within these areas can help the child's development and overall everyday life skills
