Group-based Early Start Denver Model: An educational approach for pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Italian preschools

The article outlines the main features of the Group-based Early Start Denver Model (G-ESDM), an intervention for children with ASD that has gained prominence in recent years (Vivanti, Duncan, Dawson, Rogers, 2017). Based on the philosophy, principles and strategies of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), the G-ESDM is a manualized evidence-based early intervention that includes a set of strategies to adapt to the physical and social learning environment in order to support pupil participation in classroom activities and the school community at large. While the presence of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Italian school settings represents a challenge for both special education scholars and teachers which has endorsed the paradigm of full inclusion, some reflections on the possibility of promoting the adoption of the G-ESDM in Italian preschools are required. This article outlines the main features of the G-ESDM models and concludes by illustrating a possible research itinerary for its implementation in the Italian educational system.