Soar Autism Centre has established one of the largest clinical teams trained in the Early Start Denver Model across the US, aiming to improve access to early autism therapies and standardise treatment quality amid staffing shortages.
Soar Autism Centre said it has built one of the United States’ largest clinical teams trained in the Early Start Denver Model, or ESDM, a therapy approach used with young children on the autism spectrum. The company said its network now includes clinicians in Colorado, Arizona, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and that the move is intended to widen access to early intervention while keeping treatment standards consistent.
The centre said 47 of its clinicians are already certified in ESDM, with a further 42 in training and four trainers or apprentice trainers linked to the programme. It said it pays for prerequisite courses, pairs staff with certified trainers and counts certification hours as part of paid work time, reducing a common barrier for therapists who want to specialise in the model. The Early Start Denver Model itself is a structured developmental and behavioural intervention for very young children, and UC Davis says its training programmes are designed to help professionals implement it with fidelity in real-world settings.
Ian Goldstein, Soar’s chief executive and co-founder, said in the announcement that the company was trying to remove the financial burden from clinicians and raise the standard of care for families. That emphasis on workforce development comes as the wider early-intervention field faces persistent staffing shortages and uneven access to specialist training, particularly in therapies for children under six. UC Davis describes ESDM as part of a broader evidence-based education effort for parents, educators and clinicians working with young children with autism.
Soar also said more than 3,600 people have enrolled in its free 40-hour registered behaviour technician course, with about 400 completing it so far. The programme is intended to introduce basic ESDM principles to a wider group of entry-level providers, while the company’s own centres offer diagnostic evaluations, speech therapy, occupational therapy and other services for children under six. In Pennsylvania, Soar said it works with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at joint centres, while its standalone locations operate in Colorado, Arizona and Maryland.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
