Research Model:
This model provides an average of 35-40 hours of one-on-one intensive behavior modification training sessions per week for each child. Consultants provide training for the family and staff on a weekly basis. Those who teach the child on a weekly basis compose the child’s “team.” The team consists of both undergraduate students and paid staff.

Undergraduate students provide most of the teaching hours. The full-time consultant assigned to each case provides all training and quality control of students. The teaching sessions are conducted both in the home and on the Meredith College campus. MAP staff are responsible for all administrative duties of the intervention, including scheduling, cancellations, training and conducting meetings.

Children must begin the intervention for this model no later than three years, six months (42 months) of age. Families must live within a 25 mile radius of Meredith College for this model of service. Prior to acceptance into the Research Model, children are given a battery of tests to determine if the child meets the minimum developmental age requirements for research. Children with a developmental age below the given requirements also typically have a diagnosis of mental retardation in the profound range and will most likely make minimal gains with this intervention.

The goal of the program is to individualize principles of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and discrete trial teaching to allow any child served to reach his/her maximum potential in all areas of deficit.

Parent Involvement and Generalization
Previous research (Lovaas, 1987) has shown that children whose families receive training and who participate in the intervention make maximum skill gains and maintain those gains. Therefore, parents participating in the program are required to attend weekly team meetings and monthly or bi-monthly parent training sessions. Parents are also required to complete five hours per week of one-on-one teaching with their child as guided and specified by their MAP consultant.

All skills taught, must be generalized in order to become functional. This means that the child must be able to demonstrate the mastered skill across different people, in a variety of places, given a variety of instruction, using a variety of materials (if applicable) and with increased levels of distractibility. Parents are also responsible for helping the child generalize skills across these areas. Skills are not considered mastered until the child demonstrates complete and consistent generalization.

Goals of the Intervention
The initial goal for every child is to fully mainstream into regular education. However, at least half of all children completing the intervention will not fully mainstream without assistance. The goal for these children is significant skill gains and an improved classroom placement. Skill gains are measured through annual standardized assessments and an Early Learning Measure developed at the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention. If the MAP staff feels that the intervention is not making a significant difference in a child’s global functioning and quality of life, the family may be asked to transition to another type of service. The MAP intervention includes assistance in transition to a typical classroom or special education classroom placement.