DIR Method and Autism Ranking:

Future Research

Summary of Existing Research

There is some very limited research evidence to suggest that the DIR method may help improve the quality of interactions between some young autistic children and their parents.

There is insufficient research evidence to determine if the DIR method provides any other benefits to autistic children or their parents.

Recommendations for Future Research

Future research should use randomised controlled designs to investigate the effectiveness of the DIR Method against active control groups (for example, by directly comparing the DIR Method with other interventions, relative to a no-treatment control group) using larger sample sizes.

It would also be helpful to identify the effectiveness of the specific components of the DIR Method, investigating whether and how these add value to the programme.

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Mar 2016

Next Review

01 Oct 2022