Topics

The Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR®) Model

  • Functional developmental stages
  • Individual differences in auditory processing and language, visual-spatial processing, motor planning, sensory modulation
  • The affect diathesis hypothesis: The central role of emotion in the development of intelligence, language, motor, and sensory processing
  • Relationships, dynamic learning interactions, and family patterns

Clinical Assessment Approaches

  • Analysis of adaptive development, including motor, affective, sensory, language, cognitive, and sense of self
  • Observing infants’ and children’s behavior, affects, and developmental patterns
  • Comprehending infant and child/caregiver interactions and family patterns
  • Discovering constitutional and maturational variations
  • Taking the initial interview and eliciting the developmental history • Assessing clinical challenges, such as the differences between developmental variations and disorders
  • Using the Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS) and the new Social-Emotional Growth Chart for clinical and administrative requirements

Diagnostic Processes

  • Determining functional developmental levels (in comparison to age-expected levels)
  • Discovering the range, flexibility, and stability of adaptive and coping strategies
  • Assessing the contribution of environmental and family patterns, stresses, and conflicts, as well as constitutional and maturational patterns
  • Evaluating emotional and developmental delays and disorders
  • Constructing the diagnostic profile

Intervention Planning

  • Using the diagnostic profile to plan appropriate intervention strategies for frequently presenting challenges, as well as rare or unusual patterns
  • Video-taped illustrations throughout the presentations

Intervention: A Comprehensive Developmental Approach

In-depth presentation of a comprehensive developmental approach to intervention for infants and children with special needs and their families based on the child’s functional developmental level, individual differences and interactive relationships (DIR®/Floortime™ Model), including a home and family program of developmentally appropriate interactions, interventions and practices geared to each child’s developmental profile (Floortime™). A new educational model for use in classrooms, daycare, or group settings will be discussed as will DIR® guidelines for incorporating different therapies that work with the child’s individual processing differences.

Intervention strategies for each type of developmental deficit, such as:
  • Problems with regulation and attention
  • Engagement
  • Purposeful communication
  • Pre-verbal problem solving interactions
  • Creating ideas and learning to think imaginatively and logically
  • Challenges with sensory modulation, sensory processing, language, cognition, and motor planning and sequencing
Interventions for different subtypes of Autistic Spectrum, Pervasive Developmental, and Multi-System Developmental Disorders (i.e. neurodevelopmental disorders of relating and communicating)

Including discussions of a range of communication, motor, sensory, cognitive, and relationship patterns. The new diagnostic classification system (The ICDL Diagnostic Manual for Infancy and Early Childhood (ICDL-DMIC) as well as DC: 0-3), the new DIR® approach to classifying subtypes of autism and relationship and communication problems, and our study of 200 cases will be described and illustrated.

Will include videotape illustrations.

Interventions will be discussed for special challenges, including:
  • Aggression
  • Avoidant behavior
  • Negativism, self-injurious behavior
  • Echolalia
  • Perseveration
  • Compulsive rituals
  • Inappropriate or embarrassing behavior
  • Sleep problems
  • Difficulties with toilet training
  • Children with severe environmental or family challenges, including trauma,patterns of abuse and neglect, attachment disorders (including the special problems of children from orphanages), behavioral, mood and impulse control disorders; cultural patterns also will be discussed.
New findings and interventions for subtypes of Regulatory Disorders, including:
  • Attention difficulties
  • Motor, sensory, and behavior modulation problems
  • Language difficulties
  • Excessive fearfulness and/or avoidant behavior
  • Defiant and/or rigid behavior
  • Tendencies toward self-absorption
  • Sensory craving, excessive activity and aggression

The DIR® Approach to Education, Including Creating Learning Communities Throughout the Lifespan

Integrating the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR®) Approach with other interventions including other developmental and relationship-based approaches and intensive behavioral approaches (ABA, Discrete Trial), and a discussion of when to use each approach and how to integrate them around the needs of a particular child.

Promoting the qualities that make a child a great kid such as empathy, curiosity and logical thinking.

Based on the book: Great Kids. Helping Your Baby and Child Develop the 10 Essential Qualities for a Healthy, Happy Life. (2007) By Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D., Da Capo Press.Prevention, early identification and intervention Developmental insights on difficulties with attention, obsessive-compulsive behavior and anxiety in children with ASD Tailoring education to each child’s unique interests strengths and challenges; enabling all children to become active learners