Applied Behaviour Analysis (Traditional)
Early Start Denver Model
Both ABA and ESDM have strong evidence for toddlers under 3. ESDM may be a better fit for very young children due to its play-based, naturalistic approach, while traditional ABA offers broader provider availability in Ontario. Many modern ABA programs incorporate naturalistic strategies similar to ESDM.
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) delivered to children aged 18–30 months produced significant gains in IQ, adaptive behaviour, and autism severity — some children no longer met diagnostic criteria at follow-up
Cochrane systematic review finds evidence that early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) may produce positive effects on adaptive behaviour and communication for young children with ASD (low certainty of evidence)
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
89,799
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
23%
Only 20,633 children have active funding agreements — less than one in four