«The little ones project»: Diagnosis and early neuro-psychomotor intervention cycles
Francesca Maria Battaglia
The early identification of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and timely therapeutic intervention may halt the progressive atypical organisation of the neurobiological mechanisms at the basis of socio-communicative development, significantly reducing the impact of this disorder on the global development of the child.The habilitative-rehabilitative project in this study is based upon the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and involves the implementation of early neuro-psychomotor treatment cycles, centring on the development of areas where the child with ASD has the most deficits: non-verbal communication, imitation, play development and social development.The experimental project was carried out (c/o the U.O.C. of NPI, IRCCS «G. Gaslini») by choosing 3 children out of 10 male patients under the age of 3 years with ASD. The children were chosen because of the homogeneity of their behavioural/neuropsychological profiles and their residency in Genoa, while waiting to start rehabilitative treatment with Local Authorities. The effectiveness of the treatment administered can be highlighted considering the improvements each child made in the aforementioned areas.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Early diagnosis, Early neuro-psychomotor intervention, Early Start Denver Model (ESDM).