Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children with Autism through the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. Early intervention is crucial for helping children with autism reach their full potential. The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an intervention designed for young children with autism, delivered by our certified ESDM therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech Pathologists. At our Bondi Junction and Mascot clinics, OneOnOne Children’s Therapy is proud to offer this early intervention to all our families. Let’s explore how the ESDM develops fine motor skills in children with autism.
What Are Fine Motor Skills in the ESDM?
Fine motor skills refer to the coordination between small muscles, such as those in the hands, wrists, and fingers, in coordination with the eyes. These skills involve small muscle movements that enable functions like writing, drawing, grasping small objects or toys, and fastening clothing. Fine motor skills also encompass strength, control, and dexterity.
These skills are essential for most preschool and school activities, as well as everyday life. Weak fine motor skills can affect a child’s ability to eat, play with toys, and perform personal care tasks like dressing and grooming. In school, fine motor difficulties can impact a child’s ability to write clearly and use a computer.
Why Are Fine Motor Skills Important in the ESDM?
Motor skills are often overlooked in young children with autism. However, fine motor skills are crucial for several reasons:
- Play and Interaction: If a child struggles with fine motor skills, they may have difficulty playing with toys like other children. This can lead to repetitive behaviours with their toys.
- Personal Independence: Difficulty with fine motor skills can make personal independence tasks challenging, potentially leading to frustration or tantrums when asked to perform tasks like dressing.
- ESDM Curriculum: Fine motor skills are a key component of the ESDM curriculum, essential for a child’s progress and overall development.
Understanding Autism
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting the brain’s growth and development. It is a lifelong condition, with symptoms usually noticeable early in a child’s life. Autism affects development in several ways, including:
- Communication and Interaction: Children with autism often have difficulties with communication and social interactions.
- Repetitive Behaviours: Many children with autism use repetitive and unusual behaviours, such as moving their bodies in different ways.
- Focused Interests: They may have strong interests in specific toys, topics, or areas of interest.
- Sensory Reactions: Unusual sensory reactions to sights, sounds, smells, touches, or tastes are common.
- Resistance to Change: Children with autism often prefer things to remain the same and may struggle with changes.
Autism affects how individuals interact with others and experience the world around them.
What Is the ESDM?
The ESDM is an early intervention model for young children with autism. It targets the key features of autism and has a strong evidence base for very young children.
The ESDM involves intensive teaching in play-based sessions. It uses a curriculum with a strong focus on building interactions and relationships in everyday routines. The ESDM uses the teaching principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), which have been extensively researched and proven effective for teaching children with autism.
Over 30 years of research have gone into this groundbreaking intervention program, combining various approaches, including the original Denver model and Rogers and Pennington’s model of autism.
How Does Autism Impact Fine Motor Skills?
Autism can impact a child’s fine motor skills in several ways, such as:
- Holding small toys or objects
- Playing with toys
- Opening and closing containers
- Getting dressed
- Cleaning their teeth
- Using cutlery to eat
- Drinking from an open cup
- Drawing shapes
- Writing letters and numbers
- Cutting paper and other items
- Washing and drying their hands
As children get older, fine motor skills become more complex. If a child misses developmental steps, they will find it challenging to complete tasks independently. When children with autism can’t do things for themselves, behaviour problems frequently occur.
How Does the ESDM Improve Fine Motor Skills?
The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) has four levels that follow general development for children. However, it focuses on the areas that challenge young children with autism.
One of the strengths of the ESDM is that it takes children back to the earliest fine motor skills. These are the skills that children learn in the first six months of life. The ESDM systematically builds each skill at every level in the model. As a result, the child develops better fine motor skills. They are also able to learn more complex fine motor skills because their foundation of skills is stronger. There is no point in teaching a child to write if they can’t hold and play with a variety of toys. It makes no sense to teach a child to tie their shoelaces if they don’t consistently use cutlery.
The ESDM involves a high rate of teaching. The Certified ESDM Therapist engages and teaches the child every 20-30 seconds. This high rate ensures plenty of repetition for the child to learn.
How Do I Find Out More About the ESDM?
Continue reading our blog posts as we add more information about the ESDM.
OneOnOne Children’s Therapy offers the ESDM. We were one of the first small private intervention clinics in New South Wales to offer this evidence-based practice. In our Sydney clinic, our certified ESDM therapists constantly strive to deliver the Early Start Denver Model at the highest levels of fidelity so we can improve children’s lives. We are the largest ESDM clinic in New South Wales and we use this approach because of the success rates and the fact that it is child led.
We’re Here to Support You
At OneOnOne Children’s Therapy, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Our clinics are not just spaces for therapy—they are places where children can discover their strengths, overcome challenges, and reach their full potential.
By combining innovative therapy techniques with a stimulating and supportive environment, we’re proud to offer a holistic approach to paediatric therapy and early intervention that addresses the unique needs of each child we support. Our ESDM program is influenced by the latest ESDM research from UC Davis University of California, La Trobe University, UNSW and The University of Sydney.
Reach Out for Support
If you’re concerned about your child’s development or want to learn more about how the ESDM can help your child, OneOnOne Children’s Therapy is here to help.
Call us at (02) 80657837 or email us. You can book a free 30-minute phone call with us to discuss how we can support your child’s unique journey. Our Certified ESDM Therapists have been trained at the highest levels of fidelity. We have clinics in Bondi Junction and Mascot—in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs.
