It's great you're looking into ABA and ESDM! Research shows both can lead to developmental gains for children with autism.

Specifically, children in ESDM therapy have shown significant improvements in cognition and language. One study even noted an average IQ increase of 17.6 points! And those who received intensive ESDM maintained social and behavioral gains even two years after treatment.

ABA has been shown to improve adaptive behavior, IQ, and language skills, while reducing problem behaviors. Interestingly, research suggests that more treatment hours don't necessarily mean better outcomes. Sometimes, an intermediate number of hours can be more effective per hour.

It's encouraging to know that structured early intervention, whether ABA or ESDM, can be associated with measurable developmental progress over time.