The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), by Sally J. Rogers and Geraldine Dawson, is an early intervention model for young autistic children. The ESDM curriculum checklist is the tool that links assessment to planning: it shows what the child can already do in each domain and indicates the next steps.

How the checklist is organized

The checklist is divided into levels, which follow developmental progression, and domains, such as receptive communication, expressive communication, social skills, imitation, cognition, play, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, behavior, and personal independence. The 2nd edition has 501 items across 4 levels and reorganizes part of the content from the 1st edition.

Each item is scored based on observed performance, generally distinguishing what the child does consistently, what they do sometimes, and what they do not yet do.

Practical application

  1. Observe during natural activities of play and routine, as the model proposes, and supplement with information from the family.
  2. Start at the level that makes sense for the child and advance while they are scoring.
  3. Record the date. The checklist is readministered throughout the intervention to measure progress.
  4. Use the same edition for applications you wish to compare. Items with the same code may have different content between the 1st and 2nd editions.

The ESDM is protected by copyright, and its application depends on professional qualification.

From checklist to plan

The most important step comes after scoring:

  1. Separate the items not yet mastered, by domain.
  2. Choose the priorities: what unlocks other skills, what has the most impact on the child's daily life, and what the family considers important.
  3. Write each goal with the expected behavior, conditions, and mastery criterion, for example "in 8 of 10 trials, with 2 people and in 3 environments".
  4. Break it down into steps, from higher levels of support to independence.

How to monitor progress

During readministration, compare the percentage by domain and by level. A domain that has remained stagnant for two consecutive assessments is a sign to review the strategy, teaching frequency, or the goals themselves.

ESDM in Proaba

Proaba has both editions of the ESDM as a digital checklist, by level and domain. The progress dashboard shows the consolidated percentage, by level and domain, compares assessments on a radar chart, and exports the assessment map as a PDF. In the intervention plan, you select the assessment and add goals from the goal bank linked to unmastered items, for both editions.