Episode 2: Bridging Group-ESDM and Inclusive Early Childhood Education

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Cynthia Zierhut Ursu, a child clinical and developmental psychologist whose career bridges early autism diagnosis, evidence-based early intervention, and inclusive early education. Initially trained in early autism diagnostic profiles. She later retrained in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and now specializes in the Group Early Start Denver Model (GESDM). Based in Sacramento, she leads Early Days, an organization dedicated to implementing and disseminating GESDM in preschools and community settings. She also shares the origins and evolution of GESDM — from its early classroom-based beginnings in Denver in the 1980s to formal adaptations in Australia — and how she brought this model to her own community to bridge the research-to-practice gap. Her work centers on inclusion, social connection, and the alignment of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) with neurodiversity-affirming early education practices.