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A high-impact research partnership with UQAM: strong results for our P ESDM Parent Coaching Program
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At the Gold Centre – Miriam Foundation, our P-ESDM Parent Coaching Program, based on the Early Start Denver Model early childhood intervention method, equips parents with practical, hands-on strategies they can integrate into daily life to support their child’s development—particularly in communication, social interaction, and play. As this program is designed for parents of children under age 4, it offers especially important early support at a time when many families have not yet been able to access intervention services. During this period, parents are often coping with the stress and uncertainty of a new diagnosis while waiting for services in the public health system.
In a context where access to specialized services can be delayed, this approach offers timely, meaningful support by placing families at the centre of the intervention and helping parents become active partners in their child’s development and confident advocates for their needs.
A research partnership advancing autism practices
Since June 2021, the Miriam Foundation has implemented the P?ESDM program as part of a structured research collaboration with the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) and academic partners.
Led by a team of researchers specializing in psychology and early intervention, the project aimed to:
- document the program’s implementation, feasibility, and acceptability;
- evaluate its impact on children, parents, and the parent–child interactions.
This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering evidence-based intervention services and contributing to the advancement of autism intervention practices.
Strong participation and results rooted in clinical practice
The study involved a 55 children from 52 families. Children were under 4 years of age and presented with developmental delays or autism spectrum disorder. An official diagnosis was not required to participate.
Key findings highlight both the quality and effectiveness of the program:
- High family satisfaction (mean score of 86%)
- Strong implementation of the techniques by the coaches (mean score higher than 95% across three time points)
- Excellent implementation fidelity, supporting high-quality intervention delivery (mean score of 97%)
These results confirm that the P-ESDM Parent Coaching Program at the Gold Centre – Miriam Foundation is delivered consistently and in alignment with best clinical practices.
Meaningful impact for children, parents, and relationships
The research demonstrates clear and measurable benefits for both the children and their parents, as well as the relationship between them:
- Improvements in communication, play, and imitation skills of the children
- Improved parents’ use of intervention and teaching strategies to support the development of new skills of their child
- Parents’s stress went down
- Parents’ self-efficacy regarding their ability to support their children improved.
- Interactions between parents and their child became more frequent and improved in quality
Together, these outcomes highlight the program’s global impact. It demonstrates its potential to support the child’s developmental needs along with the family’s well-being.
An accessible and effective solution
The P-ESDM program offers a practical, evidence-based approach, particularly valuable for families awaiting more intensive services, while also serving as a meaningful complement to ongoing interventions. By focusing on building parental skills and embedding strategies into everyday routines, it enables:
- earlier intervention delivered by parents within the child’s natural environment;
- increased learning opportunities for children throughout the day, supporting faster generalization of skills across people, settings, and activities;
- stronger family engagement and well-being
A commitment to clinical and scientific excellence
This partnership with UQÀM reflects the Gold Centre – Miriam Foundation’s commitment to:
- delivering evidence-based intervention services
- rigorously evaluating our intervention programs and their impact
- advancing innovative solutions for families
These results further confirm the value of the P-ESDM program and its important place within the continuum of services for young children with developmental challenges.
We sincerely thank Dr. Nadia Abouzeid and her team for their contributions to this research project, as well as the Azrieli Foundation for generously funding the program’s first three years and the associated research.
We hope to continue this collaboration with UQAM through future phases of research on the P-ESDM program and are currently seeking the funding needed to do so. Please contact the Miriam Foundation if you would like to learn more.