Early intervention, Richmond BC

Every child deserves to thrive, starting now, not after a diagnosis.

UP Early Intervention Clinic helps young children build communication, connection, and confidence through play-based ESDM therapy. Our team meets your family where you are. No formal autism diagnosis is required to begin.

Book a ConsultationNo formal diagnosis needed to start.
A UP Early clinician reading a picture book with a toddler, pointing out pictures together

Truly transformative, exceeding expectations in a number of areas (e.g. language, play skills, everyday behaviour).

Mark and Sarah

Parents of a former client

Why families choose UP

Play-based, evidence-based

Therapy happens through play and everyday moments, built on the Early Start Denver Model — not repetitive table drills.

Real Social Learning

Children build connection and communication skills alongside peers, not in isolation.

A purpose-built environment

Our clinic is designed for young children to feel safe, curious, and ready to learn.

You're Part of the Team

Parent coaching means you leave every session with tools you can use at home, right away.

Certified, specialized expertise

Our Behaviour Analysts hold ESDM certification in addition to behaviour-analysis credentials.

Our story

Meet the team behind UP Early

A short, honest conversation with our founder and clinicians about why this work matters.

Have a question after watching? Book a time below.

What a session looks like

You don't have to imagine it. Here's the shape of a typical visit.

A baby crawling toward an adult's hand offering a toy during a sessionConnection & play
A clinician and a young child exchanging a building block at a tableLearning opportunities
1

Arrival

A warm welcome in a space built for little ones.

2

Connection & play

Your clinician joins your child's world first.

3

Learning opportunities

Skills are taught inside the play, not instead of it.

4

Social interaction

Chances to practice with peers and adults alike.

5

Parent check-in

You leave knowing what happened and what's next.

The method behind it

What is ESDM?

Parents hear that early intervention matters, but choosing the right kind can feel confusing.

ESDM stands for Early Start Denver Model — a proven approach for children roughly 12 months to 5 years old.

Children learn through play and everyday interactions, not repetitive drills at a table.

It weaves in proven ABA teaching strategies, but inside moments your child already enjoys.

Every plan builds from your child's own strengths and interests, not a one-size-fits-all script.

We chose ESDM because it treats connection as the foundation everything else is built on.

Our Behaviour Analysts hold ESDM certification in addition to their behaviour-analysis credentials.

You do not need a formal diagnosis to start.

If you're noticing differences or waiting on an assessment, we can begin working with your family today.

Is this program right for your child?

This program may be a fit if…

  • Your child is between about 12 months and 5 years old.
  • You've noticed differences in eye contact, play, or communication.
  • You've been told to look into early intervention, with or without a diagnosis yet.
  • You're on a waitlist for assessment and don't want to lose time.
  • You want to be an active part of your child's learning, not just a bystander.

You do not need a formal diagnosis to start.

Talk With Our Team

What families tell us

What caught my eye was that they could start working with my son without an official diagnosis. So instead of wasting precious time waiting for his diagnosis, I could get his treatment started. We were not expecting changes as fast as we did — within the first two weeks he was making more eye contact, listening, and following directions.

Hardeep

Parent of a former client

We were so nervous to start the boys at a program, but our worries were quickly put aside as we saw how happy they were. The program is based on a method that has been studied and tested, and tailors their approach to each child — focusing not only on areas needing growth, but each child's unique strengths.

Alison

Parent of former clients

We witnessed a huge improvement in his overall development and he is now able to adjust to his kindergarten class with minimal support. The staff are very friendly and attentive to the needs of the families, and the team has all been very patient and kind to the children.

Madison

Parent of a former client

Common questions

Ready when you are.

Book directly on our calendar, or leave your details and our team will reach out within one business day.