EARLY START DENVER MODEL(ESDM)- INFORMED SUPPORT

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an evidence-based, structured, play-based early intervention approach for young autistic children. Developed from the Denver Model, which began in 1981, ESDM is supported by many years of clinical research and ongoing outcome data, including randomised controlled trials, follow-up studies, and meta-analyses. In Australia, its implementation has also been supported through Commonwealth-funded Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres, so it has not only a substantial research base but also a meaningful history of government-funded rollout in early autism services. ESDM is commonly used in the early years, and current training pathways often cover children from around 12 to 60 months.

Some autistic children benefit from extra support to build back-and-forth interaction, shared attention, communication, play, and participation in everyday routines. ESDM aims to support these foundations through enjoyable, responsive interactions that connect with home life, early learning, and community participation. High-quality research suggests that ESDM can support outcomes in areas such as language, social communication, thinking, and daily living, while also recognising that progress can look different from child to child.

ESDM is commonly used with young autistic children in the toddler and preschool years. It may be a good fit for children who would benefit from support with connection, communication, shared attention, play, imitation, and participation across everyday environments. Current official training pathways commonly refer to work with children from around 12 to 60 months.

Sessions are guided by the child’s interests and the therapist’s goals. We use play, songs, routines, movement, and shared activities to create meaningful learning opportunities throughout the session. The focus is not on making a child appear more typical. The focus is on supporting communication, connection, participation, and learning in ways that respect the child’s profile, autonomy, and family priorities.

Sessions may include:

• shared play and enjoyment 
• back-and-forth interaction
• support for gestures, sounds, words, AAC, or other communication forms
• imitation, joint attention, and play development
• parent coaching for everyday routines
• regular review of goals and progress
   

These supports are usually embedded into natural interactions rather than treated as isolated tasks, which is one reason ESDM is often experienced as practical and family-friendly.

• You receive a clear explanation of whether ESDM is a good fit for your child at this stage, individualised goals linked to daily life, practical strategies for home and early learning settings, support for carryover between sessions, and regular review of progress and next steps. The aim is to make support meaningful, usable, and relevant to real routines rather than limited to the therapy setting alone. 

We work with families in a collaborative way. The aim is not to turn home into therapy all day. The aim is to build small, realistic supports into everyday routines so your child has more opportunities for connection, communication, and participation across the week. Parent involvement is an important part of ESDM, and research has shown that parent coaching can be a meaningful part of early support.

ESDM is evidence-based, but it is not a one-size-fits-all model. It has a stronger research base than many approaches promoted online, including randomised controlled trial data, follow-up studies, and systematic reviews. At the same time, current evidence also shows that outcomes vary across children and settings. For that reason, we use ESDM thoughtfully and individually, based on the child, family, goals, and context.

We use child-safe, respectful practice. We do not use forced participation. We follow the child’s cues, explain activities clearly, and work within your family’s priorities, values, and capacity. Privacy, consent, and collaborative goal-setting are part of the process from the beginning.