The mysterious and often frustrating world of autism treatment holds a few lessons for the early learning community.

The latest evidence landed this week, when researchers released a study that showed children who were diagnosed with autism at a young age – under 2 ½ years old – and received intensive therapy often made remarkable progress. 

How remarkable? Only 56 percent of the children who received intensive therapy still had their autism diagnosis after two years, compared to 76 percent of the kids who received more typical treatment, according to the article in Pediatrics. Overall, the therapy, known as the Early Start Denver Model, boosted IQ, literacy and social skills.

Another finding showed, “almost 30 percent in the specialized group were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism after two years, versus 5 percent of the others,” the Associated Press reported.

The study has limits. The biggest is researchers only studied 48 children, though the work is now being expanded, according to the news service.

The broader message is this study could create waves far beyond those confronting autism because it’s stunning proof of early intervention’s effectiveness. If a child with autism takes major strides towards a more “typical” life with quality care, though this kind often costs tens of thousands of dollars a year, it shows how critical the first three years are and how important quality is.

Now, I don’t want to take this comparison too far. Autism remains a mysterious disorder with its own traits and no known cure, often sadly far removed from mainstream society. But this breakthrough should encourage those working to provide more kids with an excellent early education.

It clearly shows quality matters.