This program is for children who are 1 to 5 years old who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and children with typical development and their parents.

The Early Emory Inclusive Preschool and Pre-K (Early Emory) program, formerly The Walden Toddler Program, is a community-based program that is designed to enhance the development of children’s language, social-emotional, and intellectual skills.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

The Early Emory program operates on a philosophy of incidental teaching, which means teaching is guided by children’s interests and curiosities. This program is an inclusive program as children with autism are included with their peers who are developing in a typical fashion.

This approach fosters compassion, empathy, and the acceptance of individual differences and helps children form friendships from an early age with peers with whom they might not otherwise meet or engage. Having typical children to imitate and learn from has been shown to change the brains of children with autism by changing neural pathways or developing new neural pathways. In this way, children learn to compensate for deficits due to autism and learn language development and normal social interaction skills.

The program uses play and interaction to encourage learning. On a daily basis, children are given the opportunity to create, explore, and participate in self-initiated and staff-supported activities, which help to develop the following:

• Physical development and motor skills;
• Social and emotional development;
• Approaches to play and learning;
• Communication, language, and literacy; and
• Cognitive development and general knowledge.

Students are divided by age into four classrooms: ages 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5. Each classroom includes a mix of neurotypical children and children with autism at about a ratio of 2:1. The daily schedule varies slightly across classrooms, but generally includes circle time, free play time, structured activity time, snacks and lunchtime, outside time, nap or quiet time, movement and mindfulness time, story time, and sensory exploration time.

Early Emory, formerly known as the Walden Early Childhood Center, was created at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1985 and moved to Emory University in 1991. The program has served as a model of inclusion practices for preschools across the United States.

This program is implemented by teachers who have years of experience with curriculum development and adaptation to individual learning styles. The Emory Autism Center offers a variety of individualized training options for professionals who work with individuals with ASD. Please use details in the Contact section for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include hiring suitable, experienced staff and ensuring they complete training; acquiring parental buy-in; locating space to hold the program; obtaining supplies (e.g., art supplies, blocks, mats) needed to complete program activities; and providing nutritious morning and afternoon snacks.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing the Early Emory Program, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Standard school days are from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Optional extended hours are available from 7:30 to 8:30 am and from 3:30 to 5:30 pm, for an additional fee. Individual, intensive therapy sessions are scheduled for one hour per child each day, as long as staffing permits. Time to plan for and implement different activities will vary across classrooms according to developmental standards.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move Early Emory to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Emory Autism Center by mail The Justin Tyler Truax Building, 1551 Shoup Court, Decatur, GA 30033, phone 1-404-727-8350, fax 1-404-727-3969, email earlyemory@emory.edu, or visit https://med.emory.edu/departments/psychiatry/autism/early_emory/about_us/contact.html

http://psychiatry.emory.edu/programs/autism/early.childhood/index.html and http://early.emory.edu/,