What is Floortime?

Floortime (also known as DIRFloortime) is an intervention that is used to promote an individual’s development through a respectful, playful, joyful, and engaging process. It uses the power of relationships and human connections to promote the development of the capacities for self-regulation, engagement, communication, shared social problem solving, and creative, organized, and reflective thinking and reasoning. It is based on the DIR® model that was developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and his colleagues. It is used around the world by teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, mental health professionals, parents, and many others that care for individuals with developmental challenges or other related needs. It is an evidence-based approach to promoting human development that is used with children, young adults, and even adults…especially those on the autism spectrum.

Floortime All the Time Everywhere

Children with ASD require intensive intervention to help them overcome the aspects of ASD that can be disabling. Left alone, they will often not initiate interaction unless they need something. When they are left alone too much, they are missing out on the opportunity to discover the joys of a shared world. Therefore, children with ASD can benefit from “Floortime all the time and everywhere”. Floortime can be done anywhere in the house, in the backyard, in the supermarket and at the playground. It can be done with other children (siblings or peers) or just with an adult. It can be done at any time of the day, after supper, in the bathtub, or cuddling in bed. It can be done in the car, or when doing laundry, washing the dishes, all the time, everywhere. One of the wonderful aspects is that most of this is done in the every day natural environment with the caregivers and child. With good Floortime coaching for you as the caregiver, you do not necessarily need professionals in your home all the time to implement an intensive intervention. The key requirement is that both you, and your child, enjoy these moments. For more ideas, read chapter 15 of Engaging Autism.

If you are interested in beginning Floortime coaching, please contact us, We provide onsite and virtual coaching for parents from all over the world.

If you’re ready to find out how to get started, contact us now.

For more information on the Floortime concept visit the ICDL website