Start Here: Search by Topic

I organized my podcasts and blog posts into the topics below, but feel free to suggest new topics or offer other suggestions:

ADHD

• ADHD: A VAST Topic
• Autistic Moms Chatting: Creating Community

ADOLESCENCE

• And Then Comes Puberty… 
• Floortime is Also Adolescent- and Adult-Led 
• Curiosity as a Driver of Connection and Interaction in Adolescence

ADVOCACY

See RESEARCH/ADVOCACY

AFFECT

• It’s All About Affect
• Affect is Your #1 Resource to Connect with Your Child
• Affect Depends on Interoception 
• The Heart of DIRFloortime®: The R and Genuine Affect 
• Affect and Regulation in Middle Eastern Culture

AGGRESSION

• Unpacking Aggression 

ANXIETY/FEARS/PHOBIAS

• A Floortime Approach to Fears and Phobias 

The ARTS

• Sensory and Developmental Poetry Workshops 
• Art with Heart: An Open Studio Approach to DIRFloortime® 
• Creative Arts Through Music and Drama

ASSESSMENT

• Maude Le Roux’s New Functional Developmental Autism Assessment Protocol
• Diagnosing Autism in Girls and Women
• Autistic Moms Chatting: Creating Community

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

• Dhamma and DIR® 

BUILDING COMMUNITY

• Building a DIR® Community in Latin America and Abroad (see also Spanish episodes section)

COMMUNICATION/SPEECH

• The Joy in Communicating 
• What is Scripting All About? 
• The Importance of Preverbal Affective Signalling 
• What to Expect from a Developmentally-Based Speech and Language Pathologist 
• Recognizing and Documenting our Children’s Communication Cues 
• The Power of Purposeful Communication 
• Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Devices 
• Communication-Action-Affect (known as W-A-A) in Floortime 
• Identity Exploration and Finding Your Voice 
• A New Community-Created Resource: SLP MAPs 
• Gestalt Language Processing and DIR®
• Bringing DIR® Into the Classroom to Accommodate Communication for All 
• Gestural Development: The D, the I, and the R 
• Joyfully Together: Collaboration in the DIRFloortime® Approach 
• Pre-Social Abilities Are Pre-Communication
• DIR® Dialogues: Gestalt Language Processing 

CYCLING

• Bicycle Lessons 4 All 

THE D: DEVELOPMENT

• The D in the DIR® Model: Development
• Starting DIRFloortime® with Your Child: Where is Your Child Developmentally?
• Constrictions in Developmental Capacities 
• Developmental Growth Spurts: What to Expect 
• Moving Up and Down Developmentally
• Inspiring Relating, Communicating, and Thinking at Different Developmental Capacities
• Theory of Mind is Developmental 
• Gauging our Developmental Capacities: Part 1
• Gauging our Developmental Capacities: Part 2 
• Visualization Leads to Imagination 
• Nurturing Intentionality as a Bridge to FEDC 4 
• FEDC 4: Complex Communication and Shared Problem Solving 
• Developing Through FEDC 4 into FEDC 5 

DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH

• DIRFloortime® as a Comprehensive Developmental Approach
• The Conversation 
• It’s Only as Good as the Implementation
• Where is Your Focus?
• Intention in a Developmental Approach
• A Developmental Approach Overview 
• Special Books by Special Kids
• Anti-Bullying Day 

DIR® DIALOGUES

• DIR® Dialogues: Parent Practitioners
• DIR® Dialogues: Floortime Around the World
• DIR® Dialogues: Becoming a Floortime Practitioner
• DIR® Dialogues: An Exploration of Limit-Setting
• DIR® Dialogues: Gestalt Language Processing 

DISCIPLINE/LIMIT SETTING

• A Developmental Approach to Setting Limits
• Setting Appropriate Limits and Expectations by Respecting Where Your Child is At, Developmentally
• A Developmental Perspective on Sharing
• DIR® Dialogues: An Exploration of Limit-Setting
• Individualizing Support Through a Caring Relationship: Supporting PDA

EARLY LITERACY

• Early Literacy the Developmental Way: Part 1
• Early Literacy the Developmental Way: Part 2
• Early Literacy the Developmental Way: Part 3
• Early Literacy the Developmental Way: Part 4

EDUCATION

• Soaring Eagle Academy: A Unique Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based School
• The Rebecca School: Relationships are the Foundation of Learning
• Oakwood Academy: Canada’s Only DIR®​ school
• Threshold Community Program: DIR® for Adolescents and Young Adults 
• Applying the DIR® Model in a Public School 
• Thinking Goes to School
• Process-Oriented Learning Inspires Relating, Communicating, and Thinking 
• Facilitating Process-Oriented Learning with Developmental Capacity in Mind: the Just-Right Challenge 
• Dirty Hands Developmental Alliance
• Incorporating DIR® Goals into the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Online Schooling and Services During a Pandemic
• DIRFloortime® Summer Camps 
• Good Autism Education is just Good Education
• Giant Steps School in Montréal, Québec
• Giant Steps Interdisciplinary Autism Centre
• Senderos: Mexico’s First DIR®-Accredited School (also see Spanish episodes section)
• Bridging the Gap Between Home and School

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Emotions (within safe relationships) are Key to Affecting Autism
• Respecting the Emotional Experience and Expressions of the Child
• Can you Teach Emotions?
• Emotion-Seeking and Saying “No!” 
• Harnessing the Power of Narratives to Impact Development 

FAMILY COUNSELLING

• DIR® Child & Family Counselling 

FEEDING

• FOODTIME: A Developmental Approach to Picky and Rigid Eating 
• Floortime and Feeding 

FLOORTIME

* Includes Floortime video

• Introduction to Floortime
• Floortime as a Family Approach
• Floortime Lifestyle
• The Nuts and Bolts of the Floortime Session
• The Interaction of the D, the I, and the R Within the Floortime Session
• Example of a Floortime Session *
• What an Ideal DIRFloortime® Program Looks Like
• A User’s Guide to the Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) Model 
• Floortime Analysis *
• Slowing Down and Stretching out Interactions
• Using Self-Reflection as a Tool in Floortime *
• Floortime in the Car! *
• Scaffolding in Floortime: Supporting your Child While Encouraging Development
• 10 Floortime Tips From Our Visit to The Floortime Center
• What Does Following the Child’s Lead Really Mean?
• More Floortime in the Car! *
• Another Look at Self-Reflection in Floortime *
• This is 99% of Floortime
• Repetition in Autism Therapy: A Closer Look
• Floortime for First-Timers: A Quickstart Guide
• Five Great Floortime Books
• Being versus Doing 
• Why Challenging and Expanding are Essential for Human Growth
• Circles of Communication in Floortime
• The New Connection Coder App 
• Floortime with Family or Small Groups
• Promoting Symbolic Thinking in Small Group Settings 
• Meaning Making 
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 1: Facilitating Shared Sttention and Regulation
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 2: Fostering Attention and Engagement
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 3: Encouraging Purposeful Emotional Interactions
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 4: Encouraging Shared Problem Solving
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 5: Inspiring the Expression of Ideas and Feelings
• Stumbling Blocks in Floortime at FEDC 6: Fostering Logical Thinking and Building Bridges Between Ideas
• Barriers to Parents Doing DIRFloortime®
• The Floortime Manual
• What is Attunement in a Developmental Approach?
• Floortime All Day, Anywhere 
• Celebrity Floortimer
• Promoting Capacities 4 and 5 with Floortime
• Can Visual Prompts About Time Promote Understanding in Floortime?
• Floortime Through Music Therapy
• Floortime Follow-up *
• Floortime Feedback *
• Floortime is About Connection and Shared Joy: Part 1 *
• Floortime is About Connection and Shared Joy: Part 2 *
• Floortime Tips for Behavioural Challenges at School
• Floortime Tips for Behavioural Challenges at Home
• Floortime is About Connection and Shared Joy: Part 3 *
• Floortime Review *
• Facilitating Emotional and Logical Thinking: Part 1 *
• Facilitating Emotional and Logical Thinking: Part 2 *
• Facilitating Emotional and Logical Thinking: Part 3 *
• Strategies Don’t Support Growth 
• Floortime and the Coronavirus 
• Why Floortime is Child-Led
• Approaching Pre-Academics with Floortime
• Floortime is Also Adolescent- and Adult-Led
• Creating Opportunities in Floortime 
• Going Slower to Move Faster 
• The Rubber Band Metaphor in Floortime 
• Following the Child’s Emotional Intent
• Let’s Talk About Essential Floortime Dynamics

GAMES/GAMING

• Fostering Friendships Virtually Using Games 
• Growth and Gaming 
• Critical Core: A Tabletop Role-Playing Game 

GUEST APPEARANCES ON OTHER PODCASTS

• Daria Brown featured guest on the Autistic Culture Podcast Episode 147
• Daria Brown featured guest on the Meet My Autistic Brain Podcast
• Daria Brown Featured Guest on the Uniquely Human Podcast Episode 141

HOPE

• DIR® and the Science of Hope​ 

HUMOUR

• Humour Development in Autism 

INDEPENDENCE

• Fostering Independence 
• Empowering Ability 

THE I: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

• The I in the DIR® Model: Individual Differences

INSURANCE COVERAGE

• The P.L.A.Y. Project 
• Positive Development 
• Kinder Growth DIRFloortime® Medicaid Services 

MEDICAL CLINIC

• A Model of a Medical DIR® Clinic

MEDICALLY COMPLEX CHILDREN

• DIR® and Medically Complex Children: Trauma-Informed Care 

MEDICATION

• Autism and Medication 
• Autism and Medication: Part 2 

MOVEMENT/MOTOR PLANNING/PRAXIS

• Motor Planning and Sequencing Challenges in Children with Developmental Differences
• The Building Blocks of Motor Planning
• All About Praxis: Part 1 of 2
• All About Praxis: Part 2 of 2 
• Adapted Spiral Praxis and Movement for the Bodymind Process 

MUSIC THERAPY

• Floortime Through Music Therapy
• Creative Arts Through Music and Drama 
• Parents Can Connect with Their Children Through Musical Interactions
• Neurodiversity-Affirming Support in DIR®-Informed Music Therapy

NEURODIVERSITY

• See RESEARCH/ADVOCACY

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (also see Sensory Processing/Integration below)

• Attention and Executive Function 
• Gross Motor versus Fine Motor Functions 
• Visual Spatial Planning and Assessment (ViSPA) 
• Joyfully Together: Collaboration in the DIRFloortime® Approach 

PALLIATIVE CARE & DIR

• Building Relationships in the Practice of Palliative Care Using DIRFloortime® 

PARENT SUPPORT

• Parents Living with Grief About Their Special Needs Child
• From Ambiguous Loss to Acceptance 
• Avoiding the Blame in Floortime
• The Realization Phase
• Supporting Parents in DIRFloortime®
• Navigating our Therapy Teams and Social Circles 
• Parent Support Groups 
• The Future is Here: Fostering Neurodivergent Students’ Media Literacy
• Support for Fathers of Autistic Children 
• Supporting Parents in the Process of Accepting Reality
• Am I Neurodivergent Like My Child?
• A Parent’s Experience of DIRFloortime®
• The Process of Parenting our Neurodivergent Children 
• Virtual Floortime Coaching for Parents 
• Floortime Coaching for Different Parenting Styles
• Parent Perspectives: How Do We Handle Fears and Anxiety?
• Parent Perspectives: Navigating our Health and Education Systems
• Parent Perspectives: Relationships, Play, and Growth
• Parent Perspectives: Retrospective Perspective
• Parent Perspectives: Parents Listening to Autistic Self-Advocates
• Parent Perspectives: Parent Self-Regulation
• Parent Perspectives: Navigating Our Different Support Roles
• If I Need Help
• In-Home Floortime Coaching Supports Families
• Floortime Supports Parental Self-Efficacy
• Intensives at the DIR® Institute
• Parent Perspectives: Floortime Intensives at the DIR® Institute
• DIR® Dialogues: Parent Practitioners
• Parent Perspectives: Finding and Holding on to Floortime 
• Parent Perspectives: Powerful Insights From a Floortime Intensive 
• Autistic Moms Chatting: Creating Community
• Parent Play Personas

PATHOLOGICAL DEMAND AVOIDANCE/PERSISTENT DRIVE FOR AUTONOMY (PDA)

• Individualizing Support Through a Caring Relationship: Supporting PDA

PHYSICAL THERAPY

• DIRFloortime® and Physical Therapy 
• Physical Therapy is Enhanced Using a Floortime Lens 
• Joyfully Together: Collaboration in the DIRFloortime® Approach 

PLAY

• 5 Games to Play with your Child in Floortime
• Play is the Answer for Healthy Emotional Development
• Taking the Outcome Out of Play 
• The Little Scientist: Progression of Cause-and-Effect Play 
• Emotional Playgrounds Foster Emotional Well-Being

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

• Reflective Practice in DIR® 

REGULATION/STRESS

• Co-regulation in Floortime: How to Interact with a Dysregulated Child
• Focusing on Regulation 
• Self-Regulation Starts With Us
• How a Caregiver’s Regulation Affects the Child’s Regulation
• Self-Reg® and DIRFloortime® 
• The Foundation for Regulation
• From Dysregulation to Intent
• Polyvagal Theory and Regulating our Bodily State
• Regulation Challenges through the Developmental Capacities 
• A Closer Look at Impulsivity 
• The New Co-Reg Community
• The Impact of Cognitive Load on Relating, Communicating, and Thinking
• Creating Opportunities for Co-regulatory Support 
• (Non)Compliance Does Not Equal (Dys)Regulation
• Regulating through Trauma
• Affect and Regulation in Middle Eastern Culture 
• Co-regulation through Affective Signalling 
• Neurological Safety and Creating Your Happy Space

THE R: RELATIONSHIP

• The R in the DIR® model: Relationship-Based
• The Heart of DIRFloortime®: The R and Genuine Affect 
• Your Growth is Your Child’s Growth: Strength in Relationships 
• Revisiting the R: Hidden Regulators in the Development of Relationships 

REMEDIATION/ACCOMMODATION

• Remediation versus Accommodation 

RESEARCH & ADVOCACY

• See the ICDL’s DIRFloortime® Research list
• SEARCH THE AUTISM D.A.T.A. BULLETINS AND MATERIALS (COMING SOON…)
• DIRFloortime® Addresses Patient-Centered Outcomes, Offers Parent Choice, and is Aligned with Disability Rights
• Advocacy for Developmental Approach Therapies
• Uniquely Human 
• Promoting Parent Choice 
• A Review of Developmental Social Pragmatic Interventions
• The Move Towards Developmental Approaches
• Supporting the Development of Self-Regulation
• Gene Christian interviews Affect Autism’s Daria Brown
• Research Supporting DIRFloortime® 
• How Do We Best Prepare Our Multidisciplinary Professionals in the Field of Autism?
• A Self-Advocate’s Inspiring Journey 
• Neurodiversity-Affirming Care 
• Examining the Experience of Autistic Students in Higher Education
• Redefining the Autism Narrative: Part 1 
• Redefining the Autism Narrative: Part 2 
• Access and Choice in NY State for Autism Supports and Services 
• My Autism, My Story 
• Good Intentions Creating Unseen Stigma
• The World’s First International Concert to Celebrate Neurodiversity
• Part 1: Taking that Step on the Red Carpet
• Part 2: Bridging the Gap in Understanding
• Part 1: To Whom Should Parents Listen?
• Part 2: Adult Diagnosis and What it Means
• Our Differences are Our Strengths
• A New Community-Created Resource: SLP MAPs
• Autistic Masking or Impression Management?
• Presuming Competence
• Advocating for Rightful Inclusion in School
• Let’s Talk About Autism Inclusion this April 
• Autistic Moms Chatting: Creating Community
• Autistic Moms Chatting: Moving Forward with Awareness and Action
• Rewriting the IEP Narrative: The Affirming Village

SENSORY PROCESSING/INTEGRATION

• Starting DIRFloortime® with Your Child: Step 1 is the Sensory Processing Profile
• Sensory Lifestyle 
• Interoception: What is Your Child Feeling Inside? 
• Sensory Ingredients and Dynamic Responsivity 
• Enriching Sensory and Motor Experiences at Home 
• Co-regulation is the Driver for Sensory Integration 
• Combining DIRFloortime® and Sensory Integration 
• KultureCity: Sensory Accessibility and Inclusion 
• Sensorimotor Profiles in Floortime 
• The Impact of Vestibular Processing on Development
• The Complexity of Vision and Visual Processing
• The Somatosensory System and Tactile Perception

SIBLINGS

• Floortime as a Family Approach
• Floortime with Family or Small Groups 
• Promoting Symbolic Thinking in Small Group Settings
• Advocating for Rightful Inclusion in School 

SLEEP

• A DIR® Lens on Sleep

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CAPACITIES

• Early Social-Emotional Capacities 
• Foundation Academics: What is it? 
• The Importance of Preverbal Affective Signalling 

SPANISH EPISODES

• Perspectivas de los Padres: Reuniones de Apoyo para Padres Floortime
• Olas de Conexión: Surfeando el Enfoque Floortime
• Senderos: La primera escuela acreditada en DIR® de México
• Construyendo una Comunidad DIR® en América Latina

SURFING

• Waves of Connection: Surfing the Floortime Approach (also see Spanish episodes section)

SWIMMING

• Individual Differences and Floortime in the Pool 
• Floortime in the Pool: A Deeper Dive 

TOILETING

• A Developmental Approach to Toileting: Part 1
• A Developmental Approach to Toileting: Part 2

TRANSITIONS

• The Dynamic Process of Transitions 

TRAUMA

• Regulating Through Trauma 
• DIR® and Medically Complex Children: Trauma-Informed Care 
• Trauma Through a DIR® Lens