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.
In this Quick Tip, Laurie shares a data sheet for a child with intervention objectives and demonstrates how she sets it up and uses it during activities to teach and track the child's progress across learning opportunities. See the data sheet handout for a copy of the template. Happy playing and learning!
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.
Click the article (to the right) to read more on how the authors define the journey and transformative stages that ABA has undergone from its original conception of the seven defining principles to reassess how they align with current practice.
"As behavior analysts, our job is not to change behavior based on neurotypical norms, or to target behaviors solely because they are associated with autism. Our job is to work in partnership with our clients, some of whom are autistic people and their families, to help them achieve goals that are important to them and learn behaviors that are valued by them."
This Play of the Month explores songs. Children are natural little performers and engaging them in songs offers a wide range of developmental benefits. Singing verses helps children with their language when they get to learn new words, improves their pronunciation, and teaches sentence structures. Children learn how to take turns, listen to others, collaborate in a shared activity, and move their hands and bodies. Songs can also highlight different languages, music styles, and ways for children to express themselves as they join the musical fun!
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 actions that encourage children to explore, use their senses, and move their bodies:
-
Musical Instruments: Make or use simple instruments like shakers, drums, or tambourines. Let toddlers play along as you sing; they'll love creating their own music and sounds.
-
Dance Party: Incorporate dance moves and encourage them to move around. Create a fun routine with actions that match the song's lyrics, like jumping, clapping, or spinning. Toddlers often love to dance!
- Sing During Routine Activities: Incorporate songs into daily routines like getting dressed, brushing teeth, or cleaning up. Singing can make these tasks more enjoyable and help toddlers associate music with everyday activities.
-
Interactive Games: Create simple games that involve singing, such as "Simon Says" with song lyrics, or a musical version of "Freeze Dance," where toddlers have to freeze when the music stops and sing a line from the song.
-
Action Songs: Focus on songs with actions, like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “Hokey Pokey,” “Sleeping Bunnies,” “London Bridges,” or "If You're Happy and You Know It." The physical movements make the songs more interactive and fun.
Imaginary play that encourages children to make-believe and role-play:
-
Props and Costumes: Use props like scarves, hats, or stuffed animals related to the song's theme. Dressing up or using props adds an element of pretend play, making the singing activity even more exciting.
-
Story Time Songs: Turn songs into mini-stories. Use visual aids like picture books, flashcards, or felt boards to illustrate the song's story. Toddlers enjoy seeing the story come to life as they sing along.
-
Sing-Along Friends: Use puppets as singing partners. Have the puppets sing along with the child, and encourage the child to sing to the puppet. Have the puppets ask the child questions related to the song, like “Show me how to clap to the song?” or “Stomp or hop?
