Análisis de los Límites y Potencialidades de la Aplicación del Modelo Denver en el Desarrollo de la Comunicación en Niños y Niñas Autistas de 3 a 5 Años. Serie de Casos

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication and social skills. The Denver Early Intervention Model aims to address these areas to promote children's development. Objective: To analyze the limitations and potential of applying the Denver model to the development of communication in autistic children aged 3 to 5 years. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed purposive, non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The study population consisted of 5 children with autism. Parental consent was obtained beforehand. The receptive, expressive, and social skills sections of the Denver Early Intervention Model Checklist were then administered. After 12 weeks of intervention, the same checklist was administered to assess progress in the targeted areas. Results: Improvement percentages were observed in the analyzed variables: 11.05% in receptive communication, 1.67% in expressive communication, and 13.33% in social skills. The overall average improvement for the five patients, considering all three variables, was 6.55%. The Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used to determine if there were statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test. Conclusion: Improvement percentages were obtained in receptive communication and social skills; however, these were not statistically significant. Therefore, a study with a larger number of participants is recommended.