Relation of behavioral treatment to "normal functioning": comment on Lovaas.

Our commentary is a critique of the Lovaas (1987) study on the outcome of intensive behavioral intervention with young autistic children. Problems in the following aspects of the study are reviewed: (a) the choice of outcome measures, (b) the criteria for subject selection and the intellectual level of the subjects, and (c) the method for assigning subjects to control groups. Based on the available data, we posit that it is not possible to determine the effects of the intervention.