**4. Future directions**

The new pieces of knowledge about brain functions and dysfunctions have profoundly changed the methods of detection, diagnosis, and intervention of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as the ASD. Moreover, the available evidence suggests that skills improve when they are practiced intensively in a playful daily caregiving setting, in which families must have an active role in the promotion of the health of their child [6].

It is also true that research in this field is complex and continually ongoing, also because manifestations of ASD, outcome measures, and contexts may be extremely heterogeneous. Although data about early intervention are promising, especially for daily living and sensory-motor skills of these children, the results must be considered with caution, for this great variability of measures, subjects, and types of intervention [59]. Certainly, it is widely recognized that greater implementation of RCTs in this field of rehabilitation is needed to provide better indications to professionals and parents.

However, as suggested by Vivanti [60], the concept of "evidence-based" is multifaceted, especially in the field of ASD, and *"being able and willing to keep up with the evidence requires an appreciation that the evidence base in the field reflects a provisional state of affairs, rather than an unmodifiable truth".*

Maybe, parents and professionals should understand that it does not exist a perfect and effective intervention for all children, but the choice can depend on a lot of variables, such as the symptoms' severity, the age of child, the presence of co-occurring disorders, the environmental factors, the learning opportunity and the environmental adversities, and others. However, a relevant intervention target should be to avoid the "normalization of the autistic behavior", and rather take into consideration the well-being of individuals and their families, respecting their neurodiversity, but at the same time, trying to optimize the individual potential and the reach of the desired role within the society [40].
