For the first time, researchers say they have evidence that parent-led intervention for young kids with autism continues to yield gains several years later. Children who participated in an intervention between the ages of 2 and 4 displayed less severe symptoms six years later, exhibiting fewer repetitive behaviors and better social communication, according to findings published this week in the journal The Lancet. “Our findings are encouraging, as they represent an improvement in the core symptoms of autism previously thought very resistant to change,” said Jonathan Green of the University of Manchester and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in England who led the study.