It's great you're looking into ABA and ESDM therapies! Both are effective interventions for children with autism, but they have different approaches. ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is a structured therapy using reinforcement to teach skills. ESDM (Early Start Denver Model) blends ABA techniques with play-based activities to boost social, language, and cognitive development, especially for kids aged 12-48 months.

A recent study in *Frontiers in Pediatrics* (2026) shows both therapies improve outcomes, but ESDM often leads to broader gains in social skills and speech. Studies have found ESDM can result in significant improvements in cognitive skills, sometimes even higher than standard ABA. For example, one study showed an average IQ increase of 17.6 points with ESDM compared to 7 points in other groups. I hope this helps!