DIR/Floortime
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DIR / Floortime sessions at Sensational Kids: * Ready-Set-Floortime / Parent-toddler Developmental Play Group * * Individual Floortime Therapy and Parent Training sessions * * The P.L.A.Y. Project * Information and Enrollment on Ready-Set-Floortime: click on classes / Parent-Child Development Call (856) 810 - 5777 - Enrollment for Floortime or Individual Sessions
What is DIR / Floortime? "The DIR (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based) / Floortime approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and treating children challenged by autism spectrum, related disorders as well as children who have difficulty attending, communicating and relating . Developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Serena Weider, it focuses on helping children master the building blocks of relating, communicating and thinking, rather than on symptoms alone.” Floortime / DIR sessions also lead to improved play skills and social connection. At Sensational Kids, children are seen at least once a week for a combination of direct therapy and parent training /coaching. Parents are provided with strategies for working with their child “All Day Long” through every day activities based on their daily routine, sensory needs, developmental milestones, and other individual differences. Sessions can be scheduled at your home, in other community settings and at our facility. DIR identifies the child’s developmental level of emotional and intellectual functioning. It determines the child’s individual processing and responses to movement, sounds, sights, and other sensations and also facilitates learning relationships and interactions at home, in school, and in different therapies (speech, occupational therapy) geared to the child’s profile. The DIR approach taps into the child’s natural interests and emotions by following his / her lead and creates interactions that help the child master the stages of relating, communicating, and thinking. DIR targets the social-emotional development, attention, eye contact and play skills of the child. It takes into account many factors contributing to a child’s ability to process and respond to sensory information such as the child’s feelings, relationship with caregivers, individual differences as well as developmental level. This method of intervention address a child’ abilities in all developmental areas such as attention, social-emotional functioning, body awareness, communication, learning skills as well as motor skills. DIR / Floortime takes into consideration and utilizes the individual learning style and interests of the child during intervention through play and intervention strategies. Floortime is an important component of DIR. The child is met at his / her level of ability. The child’s world is entered by following the child’s lead, and tapping into his / her interests. By meeting a child at his / her current developmental level, following the child’s lead as well as tapping into the child’s interests and setting up the environment for interaction, the child learns to engage, become motivated to participate and interacts with caregivers. Targeting the six developmental milestones for social-emotional growth and development: 1. Regulation and attention (the ability to remain calm and observe the surrounding world) 2. Engagement (emotional connection to parents and caregivers) 3. Reciprocal emotional signaling (initiating and responding in a back and forth manner with gestures such as cooing, head nodding, turning to look, etc.) 4. Shared social problem solving (for e.g. taking parent by the hand, and through multiple back and forth gestures getting parent to retrieve a toy, for e.g. pulling paprent to toy, pointing). This is also often referred to as joint attention 5. Creating ideas (pretend play) 6. Connecting ideas logically (thinking) The P.L.A.Y. Project:
The P.L.A.Y. Project (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) is a cost-effective, community / home based program designed to coach parents and other professionals involved in a child’s daily living within the child's natural environment / home. The P.L.A.Y. Project was developed by Dr. Richard Solomon and is based on the principles of the DIR/Floortime Model. This model is ideal for parents who wish to help their children at home, receive therapy within the home as well as obtain the guidance of Professional Clinicians in the child's natural environment. After an initial assessment, parents are provided with goals and strategies specific to their child’s unique challenges. Monthly follow-ups include a consultative home visit and a video review with feedback from your child’s P.L.A.Y. Project facilitator. Facilitators at Sensational Kids are dually qualified with experience in DIR/Floortime as well as Licensing/Certification in Occupational, Speech, or Behavior Analysis. Facilitators are also highly experienced in treating Sensory Processing Disorders.
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