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Effectiveness and Feasibility of the Early Start Denver Model Implemented in a Group-Based Community Childcare Setting

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Abstract

A recent study documented the efficacy of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) delivered in a 1:1 fashion. In the current study we investigated the effectiveness and feasibility of the ESDM in the context of a long-day care community service, with a child-staff ratio of 1:3. Outcomes of 27 preschoolers with ASD undergoing 15–25 h per week of ESDM over 12 months were compared to those of 30 peers with ASD undergoing a different intervention program delivered in a similar community long-day care service. Children in both groups made gains in cognitive, adaptive and social skills. Participants in the ESDM group showed significantly higher gains in developmental rate and receptive language.

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Notes

  1. This result and the other MSEL resulted reported here remained unchanged if Age Equivalence Scores are used instead of DQ scores. Mullen results using Age Equivalence Scores are reported in “Appendix”.

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Acknowledgments

The present research was supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. We thank Parise Gentikoglou, Jenny Mayes, Adriana Zoumbilis, Denise Williams and Anu Massey for their assistance in running the Victorian ASELCC program. We also thank Kristelle Hudry, David Trembath, Josie Barbaro, Wojciech Nadachowski, Elfriede Ihsen, Kat Crea, Nusrat Ahmed, Heather Nuske, Megan Clark, Lisa Rumsey, Megan Grant, Carmela Germano, and Cathy Bent from the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre for assistance with the assessment and data collection process. Thanks to James Scott, Helen Heussler, and Wendi Beamish, members of the AEIOU Research Advisory Group for their guidance in the initial stages of this project. Thank you also to Prof. Margot Prior for constant encouragement and support. Finally, we thank all the children who took part in the project, as well as the parents who gave so generously of their time by filling forms and questionnaires.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia

    Giacomo Vivanti & Cheryl Dissanayake

  2. Victorian Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Giacomo Vivanti & Ed Duncan

  3. Research and Psychology Department, AEIOU Foundation, Brisbane, Australia

    Jessica Paynter & Hannah Fothergill

  4. The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Sally J. Rogers

Authors
  1. Giacomo Vivanti
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  2. Jessica Paynter
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  6. Sally J. Rogers
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the Victorian ASELCC Team

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Correspondence to Giacomo Vivanti.

Additional information

The Victorian ASELCC Team in alphabetical order: Kristy Capes, Jessica Feary, Carolyne Jones, Harpreet Kaur Ahluwalia, Liz Kirby, Benaaz Master, Dianna Pell, Katherine Pye, Harshinee Rajapakse, Jennifer Reynolds, Antonina Trifiletti, Shannon Upson, Cynthia Zierhut.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 10.

Table 10 Cognitive outcomes using MSEL age equivalence scores
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Vivanti, G., Paynter, J., Duncan, E. et al. Effectiveness and Feasibility of the Early Start Denver Model Implemented in a Group-Based Community Childcare Setting. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 3140–3153 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2168-9

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