The article ``Dierential rates of skill acquisition and outcome of early intensive behavioral intervention for autism'' by Weiss addresses a topic that is important and timely. The reported results are interesting but dicult to evaluate because of a number of methodological problems.
Nevertheless, the need for research in early intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism is so critical that I decided to accept the article as an expanded brief report. I also decided, given the sensitivity and importance of the topic and limitations of the study, that the ยฎeld and journal readership would be best served by publishing the comments of the reviewers. In this way readers would have access to the paper and the caveats and concerns of the reviewers.
I liked this approach because it permits the journal to present interesting and suggestive preliminary work, yet acknowledge the eort for what it is, topical and promising, but not deยฎnitive and with limitations that require discussion.
Another beneยฎt is that the reader can see the evolution of the manuscript from ยฎrst submission to ยฎnal product. Viewed this way, the eorts of both the author and reviewers can be fully appreciated.
The three reviewers, Gina Green, Jim Mulick, and Ray Romanczyk, are members of the editorial board and highly respected, senior researchers in