PHOTO CREDIT: Yan Krukau
DIR® Dialogues
This marks the third edition of DIR® Dialogues from Affect Autism! This episode features Practitioner Panels–this one featuring five international DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leaders discussing moving from being someone “doing Floortime” to becoming a “Floortime therapist.” DIR® Dialogues is an addition to the usual podcast episodes.
You can also subscribe on your preferred podcast app by searching, “We chose play from Affect Autism”
This Episode’s Guests
This episode’s guests are five DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leaders. Returning guest, Nagwa Khedr, is an early intervention specialist in Cairo, Egypt. She’s been practicing DIRFloortime® since 2014 and her practice is at DIRFloortime® Center Etwasel, which means ‘Connect‘ in English. She recently hosted a very successul DIRFloortime® conference in Cairo with over 100 participants.
Returning guest, Kerri Ciskowski, is an occupational therapist in central New Jersey who does in-home support through her service Therapy Keeper for families who are typically raising autistic kids. Returning guest, Dr. Ira Glovinsky, is a Clinical Psychologist in Michigan who engages in numerous related endeavors using a Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) framework.
Returning guest, Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Kathy Platzman of Floortime Atlanta, is a DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader who also trains up and coming training leaders. First-time guest, DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader Riccardo Atzei is a Neuro and Psychomotor Therapist and Recreational Therapist in Florence, Italy who specializes in home-based services. He recently wrote a newsflash for ICDL entitled Becoming a DIRFloortime Therapist and that’s the topic we’re discussing.
This Episode’s Highlights
Ira highlights:
- The concept of an “I” in both experiencing and remembering interactions with our child/client and how each of us has a different “I”
- We don’t really follow “methods” of how to do things; we work wholistically with children and families, using everything about ourselves to have a relationship
- Everything in Floortime is fun: We might be in “the dollhouse” game until it’s time to end the session and it changes to the “I don’t want to go” game; we’ll work this out together
- How do we ever really know what the other person’s idea is?
- What is our concept and understanding of “relationship” which involves the component parts of attunement, synchrony, marking, contingency, and co-regulation
- Ira tells all parents after the first session that “we are in this together”
Nagwa’s highlights:
- Our “I” is different with each client and our relationship changes from the first time we meet and as our relationship develops
- Real development happens when we’re sharing joy and connection
- “Connection” over “compliance” is important in middle eastern culture
Riccardo’s highlights:
- It was a challenge to put his professional goals into a Floortime session, but mentoring opened the door to a universe for him
- He practiced how to just “be” in the moment with a child and his profession became a background to Floortime, which became the foreground
- We just have to be ourselves and be driven by the relationship, which is a big learning moment for parents
- We learn from our moments of natural connection with the child
- Playing the “I don’t want to do this” game allows for shared problem-solving that creates a wonderful opportunity for circles of communication that have intention
- Reflective practice is important in your continued growth and progress
Kerri’s highlights:
- Kerri really felt the shift when she went out on her own and started her practice
- Our lane of what happens in relationships gets wider as we embrace a DIR® approach and have in mind the work, or perspective, of our colleagues in other disciplines
- Two things can be true: We can desire progress as parents, while still holding space for individual differences and agency; go for the shared joy and connection if all else fails
Kathy’s highlights:
- It’s a long process for practitioners and parents to become a Floortimer
- Remembering to use her genuine affect helped Kathy in her moments of doubt
- DIR® being a transdisciplinary approach means that we share a language and goals and can talk to someone across the globe and “get” each other
- A strong relationship leads to respecting individual differences which leads to developmental awareness and it begins with “join without prejudice”–a summary of the DIR® model in three words
Past Podcasts with This Episode's Guests
KERRI CISKOWSKI, Occupational Therapist
IRA GLOVINSKY, Psychologist
NAGWA KHEDR, Early Intervention Specialist
KATHY PLATZMAN, Psychologist
This episode’s PRACTICE TIP:
This episode let’s take at our approach to Floortime as a parent or practitioner. Are you still thinking of Floortime as a separate “practice” that you “do” or have you absorbed it wholistically into your entire “being” with your child?
For example: Let’s reflect on being ourselves with our child(ren) and seeking and facilitating moments of connection, having internalized many Floortime principles, such as attunement, following the child’s emotional intentions, their D, and their unique profiles. Let’s internalize Dr. Glovinsky’s idea about the current “game” we are immersed in with our child. A very playful approach!
A big “thank you” to this episode’s guests for agreeing to participate on the DIR® Dialogues panel and I hope that you found it a worthwhile listen. If so, please consider sharing it on social media!
Until next time, here’s to choosing play and experiencing joy every day!
Thank you to Ukrainian recording artist ШТАДТ (STADT) for the intro/outro song permission.
