ESDM Online
Welcome to ESDM Online, a resource for parents and providers eager to discover ways to help children connect, communicate, and learn. Here, you will find examples, tips, activities, the latest research findings, videos, and much more to support your goals as a parent or provider. Join the community and become part of this mission to create positive learning experiences for children.
- Giving children opportunities to practice their skills through play and everyday activities.
- Creating a welcoming, accessible and nonjudgemental space to hear about and share ideas.
- Helping children feel calm, safe and supported.
Connect, Communicate, and Learn
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.
This Quick Tip explores how sensory social routines—playful, predictable interactions from the ESDM—help autistic children focus on people and enjoy social engagement. Drawing on recent research, we ask: Are children simply more drawn to objects, or do faces not stand out as much? The video unpacks these findings and offers practical strategies for building connection through routines that honor each child’s natural way of interacting.
👉 Read the research article
👉Watch the Quick Tip video
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 is on a telehealth pilot study exploring how caregiver-child coaching impacts social communication outcomes for young children receiving services through a community mental health system. The intervention used a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral framework, delivered remotely, to support caregivers in embedding learning opportunities into everyday routines. The study offers rich qualitative insights into how coaching relationships shape caregiver confidence, strategy use, and child engagement—especially in under-resourced settings where access to developmental supports may be limited.
What They Found
Caregivers described the coaching sessions as empowering, practical, and emotionally supportive. They valued the relational aspects of coaching—feeling respected, heard, and guided without judgment. This relational safety was a catalyst for trying new strategies and reflecting on what worked. Rather than focusing solely on techniques, coaches helped caregivers notice and build on their child’s strengths, creating a sense of shared celebration and momentum.
Other key themes were:
- Increased caregiver confidence in supporting their child’s communication.
- Greater attunement to child cues and developmental progress.
- Sustained use of strategies beyond the coaching period, especially when caregivers felt seen and supported.
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Let the child lead: When caregivers follow their child’s interests in play rather than directing the activity, interactions tend to last longer and feel more joyful—for both the child and adult.
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Set the stage for communication: Use communicative temptations by creating enticing situations (like holding up a favorite toy) and waiting expectantly. This encourages children to initiate requests or comments.
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Prompt with purpose: Offer gentle communication prompts and adjust your support based on your child’s response. Reinforce attempts naturally—like giving the item they asked for or joining their play.
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Model and expand: Narrate what your child is doing using slightly more advanced language. For example, if your child says “car,” you might say, “Yes, the car is going fast!” This helps build vocabulary and sentence structure.
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Celebrate small moments: Caregivers in the study found that noticing and naming everyday successes—like a new word or longer eye contact—helped them stay motivated and attuned to their child’s growth.
In community mental health settings, where families may face multiple stressors, relationally attuned coaching can be a powerful lever for change. This study shows that when caregivers feel supported—not just instructed—they’re more likely to apply strategies consistently and notice meaningful shifts in their child’s communication. By investing in coaching relationships that honor caregiver wisdom and lived experience, we can amplify developmental gains and promote equity in early intervention.
Click the article (above) to read more about its implications for telehealth, caregiver coaching, and community-based developmental support.
Egg cartons aren’t just for storing eggs anymore! This Play of the Month transforms the everyday egg carton into a springboard for creativity, connection, and developmental growth. From toddlers delighting in dropping and poking soft objects, to preschoolers crafting trains, treasure boxes, or tiny gardens—these open-ended activities invite children to explore, imagine, and build new worlds, one cup at a time. No fancy supplies needed—just an empty carton and a little curiosity.
See below for activity ideas and learning goals linked to the ESDM Curriculum Checklist items to help you discover the play level that best suits your child or the children and families you support in early learning environments.
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 (Sensorimotor & Exploratory)
These activities focus on cause-and-effect, sensory exploration, and basic motor skills—like banging, mouthing, or dropping—just to see what happens.
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Drop & Retrieve: Children can drop small objects (pom-poms, buttons, balls) into the cups and dump them out again.
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Poke & Push: Use soft items like cotton balls or play dough to squish into the cups—great for finger strength.
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Scooping Station: Fill the carton with rice, beans, or water beads and offer spoons or scoops for tactile exploration.
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Finger Tap Game: Invite children to tap each cup with their finger, a spoon, or a soft object while you count aloud or sing a song. You can vary the tempo, use different tools, or add a “find the hidden object” twist by placing a small item under one cup. This supports motor coordination, attention, and early number sense—all through playful repetition.
Combination Play (Functional & Constructive)
These activities involve using materials together with intention—building, matching, or organizing.
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Color Sorting: Paint or label each cup with a color and invite children to match colored items to each section.
- Counting & Matching: Number each cup and have children place the corresponding number of items inside.
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Mini Garden: Use the carton as a seed starter—children can help fill with soil and plant seeds, then water and observe growth.
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Puzzle Tray: Hide small toys or picture cards under cups and play memory or matching games to the same items in the
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Animal Homes: Use the cups to house small animal figurines—children can sort by type, habitat, or size.
Symbolic Play (Pretend & Representational)
These activities support imagination, role play, and storytelling.
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Egg Carton Train: Tape multiple cartons together and decorate as a train—children can “drive” it or load passengers.
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Food Play: Pretend the cups are muffin tins or snack trays—children can “cook” and serve meals.
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Treasure Chest: Decorate the carton and use it to store pretend jewels, coins, or magical items.
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Creature Creation: Turn the carton into a caterpillar, dragon, or robot using craft supplies—then act out stories with it.
