U.S. News & World Report: An All-Out Assault on Autism

Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, a hospital that serves children with developmental disabilities and brain disorders, are seeing promise in early classroom-style intervention, too. Their six-month program for small groups of 2-year-olds involves about 10 hours of therapy a week in a preschool format—play time, circle time, snack time—plus practice at home. "It's so much more than a cute little classroom," says Rebecca Landa, director of Kennedy Krieger's autism center. Her research has shown that the children make impressive strides in cognitive skills and social abilities like imitation and shared attention. "They make 11 months' gain in six months in their language development," she says. Kennedy Krieger researchers are now examining programs for 1-year-olds. Read more.