Using ESDM 12 hours per week in children with autism spectrum disorder: feasibility and results of an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Early intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in France is heterogeneous and poorly evaluated to date. Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a developmental and behavioral model of intervention for toddlers with ASD which has already shown very interesting outcomes on the development of children with ASD in various studies with different settings. However, it is not possible with the current research to agree on the best setting. Thus, we implemented an ESDM program according to our context where children are often pre-schooling early from 30 months old. This therapy was applied by a multidisciplinary team working in close collaboration with parents and other partners.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study including 19 toddlers with ASD was conducted. We evaluated improvement on the cognitive level of toddlers with ASD receiving therapist-delivered ESDM intervention for 12 hours per week.

RESULTS: Significant improvements in verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills at the Mullen Scale of Early Learning were obtained after 10 months of intervention in our sample. The largest improvement was in receptive language development quotient with a mean improvement of 19.6 points. We also observed promising outcomes in daily adaptive behavior, with a slight improvement in communication at the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale. These outcomes, when compared to the conclusions of previous studies, are leading us to the need for a therapy duration beyond 10 months.

CONCLUSIONS: Our outcomes were very encouraging even with low cognitive and nonverbal children. These outcomes may be confirmed in a multicenter randomized controlled trial that is ongoing.