LEAP and Autism Ranking:

Aims and Claims

Aims

LEAP is designed to achieve a number of aims. For example, according to the Watson Institute (2010),

“The goal of LEAP Preschool is for all children to reach their full potential so they are best able to benefit from the curriculum in their home school district.”

and

“To best meet the needs of children with autism, the preschool curriculum is supplemented with learning activities and instructional strategies specifically designed to concentrate on the development of functional skills, independent play, social interaction, pre-academics, language skills and adaptive behavior.”

Claims

There have been various claims made for the use of LEAP as an intervention for pre-school autistic children. For example, Strain and Bovey (2011) claimed

“… (a) Children in LEAP generally show significant reductions in autistic symptoms after 2 years of intervention, comparison children do not; (b) children in LEAP make marked developmental progress on intellectual and language measures, comparison children do not; (c) on observational measures taken in school and at home, LEAP children are far more socially engaged and appropriate; (d) no negative and some positive (e.g. better social skills and fewer disruptive behaviors) outcomes accrue to typical children in the LEAP model; (e) gains for LEAP children maintain following program participation with 24 of 51 children enrolled in regular education classes with no signs of developmental regression; and (f) adult family members who participated in LEAP are significantly less likely than comparison families to show signs of significant stress and depression following the early intervention experience.”

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Sep 2017

Next Review

01 Jan 2024