What is the ESDM?

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is the gold-standard intervention for young children with autism. Developed by Sally J. Rogers, PhD and Geraldine Dawson, PhD at the UC Davis MIND Institute, the ESDM is the first empirically tested intervention for toddlers and preschoolers with autism based on principles of psychology and applied behavior analysis, using a play-based relationship-focused approach. A significant body of research supports the ESDM approach to treatment.

The ESDM is a social relationship-based intervention, and involves the key people in a child’s life - parents and families. The aim of ESDM is to facilitate and increase the rates of development in all domains in a child with ASD, as it simultaneously aims to decrease the symptoms of autism by strengthening a child’s intrinsic motivation to socialize, imitate, and play with important people in their lives.

The ESDM considers the child as the artist, creating his/her own picture of the world, in a context in which the interaction between the child and caregivers shape the child’s world and development in an interactive process. The ESDM seeks to empower children with ASD to become active participants in the world, initiating interactions with others, thereby setting the stage for natural, intrinsic learning to occur. Simultaneously, it seeks to empower caregivers to apply ESDM strategies to strengthen the bond and maximize learning opportunities for their child in their own home context.

The core of ESDM intervention focuses on positive child interaction, play-based and balanced social interactions, sensory-social interactions, and social intuitive language development. The ESDM fuses a behavioral, relationship-based approach with a more developmental, play-based one in order to create an integrated whole that is both individualized and standardized. 

The ESDM model is designed to be used by parents, teachers, therapists, at home, in preschool, and/or in a clinical setting - anywhere that adults are interacting with children.

Teaching occurs inside typical family routines (i.e., meals, bathing, playtime, chores, community outings etc), and targets all areas of development: receptive communication, expressive communication, social skills, play skills, fine motor, gross motor, and personal independence skills. By enriching the natural learning opportunities in daily home routines and activities, the rate of development skyrockets.