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Early intensive behavioral intervention based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) is associated with gains in IQ, language, and adaptive behavior for some autistic children, and older meta-analyses report medium-to-large effects; but the most rigorous and independent syntheses (Cochrane; RCT-restricted, bias-adjusted analyses) find the evidence weak and the summary effects largely attenuated, adverse effects are poorly monitored, and outcomes meaningful to autistic people are seldom measured.