Short-term low-intensity Early Start Denver Model program implemented in regional hospitals in Northern Taiwan.

Researchers tested a modified version of the Early Start Denver Model therapy in Taiwan hospitals with 45 children with autism aged 2-4 years. Children received 8-9 hours of one-on-one therapy weekly for 6 months. Results showed children in the therapy group improved more in overall development and nonverbal skills compared to a control group right after treatment ended. However, these improvements didn't last when checked 6 months later.

This was the first study testing this therapy approach in Chinese culture.

This study evaluated a culturally adapted, lower-intensity version of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) in regional hospitals in Northern Taiwan. Forty-five children with autism aged 2-4 years were randomly assigned to either ESDM intervention (8-9 hours/week for 6 months) or community-based control groups. The ESDM group showed greater improvements in overall development and nonverbal development compared to controls immediately post-intervention. However, these gains were not sustained at 6-month follow-up.

This represents the first evaluation of ESDM effectiveness in a Han-Chinese cultural context, providing preliminary evidence for its short-term benefits when implemented in regional hospital settings with reduced intensity compared to traditional ESDM protocols.

Results suggest ESDM can be effectively adapted for regional hospital delivery in Asian contexts with reduced intensity. However, the lack of sustained benefits indicates need for longer intervention periods or maintenance strategies. Findings support ESDM as a viable early intervention option in Taiwan's healthcare system, though optimization of dosage and duration requires further investigation.

Small sample size of 45 participants limits generalizability. Authors note caveats in trial design without specifying details. Short intervention duration (6 months) and reduced intensity compared to standard ESDM protocols. Single cultural context limits broader applicability. Lack of sustained effects raises questions about optimal intervention parameters.

The Early Start Denver Model is an evidence-based early intervention program for young and very young children with autism. This interdisciplinary model is used by many types of professionals, such as psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, early child special educators, and paraprofessionals, as well as by parents. Most previous studies on the Early Start Denver Model were conducted in the West, and there are scarce studies on the topics of generalization in culture and countries outside the Western world. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the Early Start Denver Model with some adaptations, including a lower intensity, shorter duration, and delivery in regional general hospitals in Northern Taiwan.

In total, 45 young children with autism, aged 2-4 years, were divided into the Early Start Denver Model and community-based control groups. The children in the Early Start Denver Model group received one-on-one intervention for approximately 8-9 h per week for 6 months. The results revealed that compared with the control group, the Early Start Denver Model group showed greater gains in overall development ability and nonverbal development ability from pre- to post-intervention. However, these differences did not sustain at the 6-month follow-up after the completion of the intervention.

Being mindful of some caveats in trial designs, this study provides preliminary evidence to support the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model intervention in the regional general hospital settings in the context of Han-Chinese-mainly culture. Our findings can provide helpful information to stakeholders and policymakers of early intervention service systems for children with autism in Taiwan, as well as in Asian countries.