The Effect of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention(EIBI) Based on Verbal Behavior Analysis on the Development of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)

This study examines the effects of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention(EIBI) on the overall development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) and identifies predictive factors related to developmental improvements. The study involved 46 children diagnosed with ASD who underwent EIBI based on applied behavior analysis at a specialized institution for 12 months. Assessments of the children’s developmental levels were conducted before and after the intervention using the Ados-2 test, language assessments, educational diagnostic tests, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and the Early Learner Curriculum and Achievement Record(ELCAR) curriculum evaluation. Data analysis was performed using paired sample t-tests and multiple regression analysis. The results show significant improvements in ASD symptom severity, language development, developmental age, adaptive behavior, and ELCAR curriculum scores following the EIBI intervention. Furthermore, ASD symptom severity was a significant predictor of improvement in developmental age, and developmental age was a predictor of ELCAR curriculum achievement. Within the developmental age subdomains, imitation emerged as an important predictor. These findings show the effectiveness and limitations of EIBI interventions for children with ASD in South Korea.