Extending the Early Start Denver Model to Young Children with Down Syndrome

Children with Down syndrome have challenges in cognitive, language, adaptive, and social domains, but there is limited research on comprehensive early intervention programs for this population. The current study will evaluate the results of intensive, manualized treatment using the Early Start Denver Model, which was created for children with autism, in a sample of young children with Down syndrome and an age-matched sample of children with autism spectrum disorder. This study also will investigate transdiagnostic predictors and mechanisms of response to treatment, using novel experimental measures including eye tracking paradigms measuring social cognition and social motivation, and ratings of parent-child social engagement.