Early interventions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents a growing challenge in the field of child health. Early interventions, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), have demonstrated effectiveness in the development of cognitive, linguistic and social skills.Material and methods: This longitudinal case study analyzes the evolution of the behavioral, communicative and cognitive development of a child with ASD who underwent an intensive ABA-based intervention for two and a half years. Sessions were conducted three times a week, combining strategies such as discrete trial teaching, positive reinforcement, modeling, task chaining and family guidance. Assessments were conducted using the VB-MAPP protocol at three different points in time (2021, 2023 and 2024).Results: Significant progress was observed in areas such as motor imitation, echoic language, social play and spontaneous vocalization. There was also evidence of a progressive reduction in barriers to learning, especially in terms of dependence on reinforcers and disruptive behaviors. However, difficulties persisted in complex structured language tasks, advanced verbal comprehension and pre-academic skills.Conclusion: The results reinforce the importance of early interventions based on ABA, showing a positive evolution in the child's behavioral repertoire. The need for long-term therapeutic continuity is highlighted in order to achieve an integral development.