A Guide to DIR Floortime
DIR Floortime Therapy is designed to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, attention disorders and other developmental delays. Therefore, DIR Floortime utilizes relationships, natural motivation and play to target capacities for intimacy, non-verbal and verbal communication, pretend play, social cooperation, logical thinking and emotional reasoning.
What is DIRFloortime®?
DIRFloortime (or Floortime) is a Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based intervention designed to develop and enhance social, emotional and intellectual capacities in children, adolescents and even adults. While this intervention is primarily used with children with developmental disabilities, such as autism, Floortime techniques can be used by parents and professionals to build engaging and meaningful relationships with all children.
Developed by Stanley Greenspan and Serena Weider, the DIR model is designed to be highly customizable to each child’s unique profile. Students with developmental disabilities and other learning challenges are often seen as a sum of their deficits. Floortime starts by identifying and working with a student’s strengths and natural interests and desires to facilitate progression through developmental milestones or Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs):
Growing Sense of Self and Reflection on an Internal Standard
- Self Regulation & Interest in the world
- Engaging & Relating
- Purposeful Two-Way Communication
- Complex Communication and Shared Problem Solving
- Using Symbols and Creating Emotional Ideas
- Logical Thinking and Building Bridges Between Ideas
- Multi-causal and Triangular Thinking
- Gray Area and Emotionally Differentiated Thinking
- Growing Sense of Self and Reflection on an Internal Standard
In traditional educational environments, the focus is almost solely on academic achievement. The child is viewed not as a whole person, but as a grade or a score on a test. At Oak HIll Academy, we believe that each student is a unique, complex individual and understand that academic achievement will only come when students are able to self regulate and actively engage in their environment. We also know that emotional connection fuels desire and a willingness to learn. Many students are able to build these skills through Floortime therapy.