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Connect, Communicate, and Learn
Active Ingredients for Change
Young children learn best when having fun. Whether it is play, bath, meal time, or another routine, each moment can involve the ESDM to help children connect, communicate, and learn. See how you can get started with the ESDM with your child or the families whom you support in an early childhood learning environment.
Quick Tip
Find out how to use tips from the ESDM for early social-communication skills important to life-long learning, behavior, and health with your child or with families whom you support in an early childhood learning environment.
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Latest News
Read monthly research about intervention outcomes for children with or at risk of autism; coaching supports for their families; and/or family-centered, culturally inclusive coaching tools to help early childhood professionals support families. Each monthly article is publicly available for free access.
Read monthly research about intervention outcomes for children with or at risk of autism; coaching supports for their families; and/or family-centered, culturally inclusive coaching tools to help early childhood professionals support families. Each monthly article is publicly available for free access.
This month's Latest News indicates that a modular intervention, focusing on social communication and delivered 5-10 hours per week, is no less effective in enhancing adaptive behavior skills—such as communication, socialization, and daily living—compared to a comprehensive behavioral intervention provided for 15-20 hours per week. This finding of similar intervention response is consistent with the Rogers et al. 2021 study that compared two doses (high and low) and two approaches (DTT and ESDM) in a younger sample of autistic toddlers.
Although both intervention approaches were well-received by providers, parents who initially favored the comprehensive intervention due to a "more is better" mindset struggled with the required time commitment. Conversely, parents who experienced the modular approach valued the lesser time requirement and the chance for increased participation from the 30-minutes-per-week coaching program.
The modular intervention also designated specific times for clinicians to introduce additional learning modules tailored to the needs of the child and family. For children, modules focusing on imitation skills and learning readiness were frequently chosen, while parents often selected modules addressing disruptive behavior and toilet training.
Click the article (to the right) to read more.
Although both intervention approaches were well-received by providers, parents who initially favored the comprehensive intervention due to a "more is better" mindset struggled with the required time commitment. Conversely, parents who experienced the modular approach valued the lesser time requirement and the chance for increased participation from the 30-minutes-per-week coaching program.
The modular intervention also designated specific times for clinicians to introduce additional learning modules tailored to the needs of the child and family. For children, modules focusing on imitation skills and learning readiness were frequently chosen, while parents often selected modules addressing disruptive behavior and toilet training.
Click the article (to the right) to read more.
Play of the Month
Play not only brings smiles to children's faces but also helps them learn, feel good about themselves, and enjoy the interaction that comes from doing something with someone. Join me each month for Play of the Month to try with your child or the families whom you support in early intervention or other early childhood learning environment.
We all have lonely socks lying around who have lost their partners due to the turmoil of the dryer. With a little creativity, these cast-aside socks can become a go-to toy! You can find a list of activity ideas here to help you discover what level of play your child or the children and families whom you support in early learning environment enjoy doing.
Pay attention to what children like (or seem curious about) and follow their lead as long as you are a part of the action, too. Remember, the most important thing is for children to have fun doing this with you! Fun means engagement and that excites children's brains and bodies for meaningful learning to happen.
Simple play actions that encourage children to explore, use their senses, and move their bodies:
- Make a sock ball using two or three pairs of large socks rolled inside each other. Throw sock balls over or underhand, into a laundry basket or other target to knock down or kick the sock balls across the floor.
- Help the child fill a long tube sock with rice or dry beans using spoons or Dixie cups (spread a towel or tablecloth on the floor to do this activity on for an easier clean-up). You can use action words like, "We’re scooping (or pouring or dumping) the beans." Once you think the socks are full enough, tie them off, making a bean bag and try the next idea.
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Take the socks full of dry beans or rice and have fun tossing them into a laundry bin or box. You can say things such as, "It went in. It came out. You tossed it."
- Find socks of different colors (black, white, blue, red, etc.). Using crayons or markers, color a square of each color on paper plates. Lay the paper plates in a row and help the child match the black sock to the black square, the blue sock to the blue square, etc.
Imaginary play that encourages children to make-believe and role-play:
- Put the sock over your hand and you have an instant puppet! Decorating the sock is an added bonus, but you animating the sock will be what creates the magic for the child. You can add this puppet to any play routine you are doing, such as feeding him cuttable food or birthday cake, reading a story outloud to the child, or taking turns with toys to play with you and the child.
- Guess what’s inside the sock when you prep this game by filling up a sock with different objects that the child has not seen you do. Take turns reaching into the sock to feel one of the objects and guess or ask what it is before pulling it out for the other to see.
- Pretend that your sock puppet is “Dr. Sock.” You can use tape as pretend band aids, talk about where the child or his/her stuffed animals have owies, and then Dr. Sock can put on a band aid and give it a big kiss. The child can swap roles with you and pretend to be the doctor too.
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