ESDM Background
The ESDM was developed by Professor Sally Rogers and her colleagues over an almost 30-year period. Prof. Rogers works at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California, Davis, in Sacramento, USA. The ESDM is a set of specific strategies that can be used by professionals and parents/caregivers to work with young children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a natural learning environment, such as an early learning and care centre or at home. The strategies can be applied to everyday activities, such as when children are playing, having their meals, getting dressed, and interacting with other people. The ESDM is based on scientific evidence about how young children develop and learn, how having an ASD affects early development and learning, and how best to teach young children. Research on the ESDM itself has found that most children with an ASD show significant improvements in cognitive and adaptive behaviors when taught with this method and that parents/caregivers can also be taught to apply this method at home.
How does ESDM differ from other models?
It differs from relationship-based models in its incorporation of ABA principles. It differs from other behavioral models in its grounding in child development research and its emphasis on affectively rich relationships.
