Start Here: Introduction and Website Map

Every child can benefit from DIR/Floortime, not just autistic children or those with developmental differences

You’re here for the first time! You’re new to DIR/Floortime and like what you see. You want to relate and communicate with your child in a respectful way. You want to see your child thrive with an approach that promotes healthy development.

You’ve come to the right place! DIR/Floortime offers a warm and engaging way of relating and communicating with your child, is relationship-based, respectful, and puts your child at the front and centre of it, rather than his or her behaviour.

We focus on expansion of children’s behaviour rather than suppression

By interacting developmentally with your child (“D“), you can understand how to respect his/her individual differences (“I“) and developmental level through a warm, safe and nurturing relationship (“R“) so your child will have the opportunity to relate, think and communicate with you. You’ll move from concerns that almost all parents have to growing to appreciate your child for whom (s)he is and relish in the joy of facilitating your child’s development.

You’ll move away from here:

  • “I just want him to say, “Mommy”/”Daddy.”
  • “I don’t think he even cares if I am around.”
  • “He can’t tell me if he is hungry, hurt, or mistreated at school”.
  • “Why does he do that?” “Why is he spinning things?”
  • “Will he get married?”
  • “Who is going to take care of him when I am gone?”

You’ll arrive to acceptance, appreciation, and empowerment here:

  • “I love relating and communicating with my child.”
  • “I love connecting and sharing joy with my child every day.”
  • “I understand and can show others how my child communicates”.
  • “I feel empowered understanding my child’s sensory processing profile.”
  • “I am excited to watch my child’s potential unfold.”
  • “I am honoured to scaffold and facilitate my child’s development.”

We want to share our enthusiasm and everything we’ve learned with other families. You can do Floortime anytime, anywhere. You as parents and caregivers are the best bet for your child’s success! Instead of waiting on funding for sub-optimal services, or depending on costly ‘interventions’ that boast modest gains or put the focus on the wrong thing, let’s do it ourselves! Let’s empower our children! We show you how!

Let’s Start!

Here is your guide to relating and engaging with your child using the Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR) model and Floortime. You’ll be having fun together in no time! Just CLICK ON THE GREEN TITLES BELOW to get to each topic. Happy viewing!

Introduction to DIR/Floortime

  • What is DIR/Floortime? An overview and understanding of what DIR/Floortime is all about
  • Introduction to DIR/Floortime Hear the late Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Serena Wieder discuss important aspects of the model
  • The Learning Tree Hear Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s son, Jake Greenspan, describe the important aspects of the DIR Model
  • Why DIR/Floortime? Read about our experience with selecting an approach to support our autistic son’s growth and development, settling on DIR/Floortime
  • Brain Research Study Watch the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s coverage of the ground-breaking study at York University in Toronto that showed the growth and development in the brains of autistic children after receiving a year of DIR/Floortime

Beginner’s Guide to DIR/Floortime

Guide to Starting DIR/Floortime With Your Child, Adolescent, or Adult

How to Overcome Obstacles in Floortime

Floortime Techniques to Help You With Your Child, Adolescent, or Adult

The Role of Emotions and Respecting the Child, Adolescent, or Adult in a Developmental Approach

Research 

Schools and Services Using the DIR Model

Early Literacy

Fun Topics

Advocacy

Please see the website for the Autism Developmental Approach Therapies Association (Autism D.A.T.A.) for advocacy efforts for relationship-based therapies and for parent choice in autism programming.