If your child has been diagnosed with autism, you’ve almost certainly been presented with ABA therapy as the primary — and sometimes only — recommended option. But there’s another evidence-based approach with decades of clinical research behind it: The Greenspan Floortime Approach®. This isn’t a takedown of ABA. It’s an honest look at how these...
If your child has received a diagnosis of autism, developmental delay, or sensory processing differences, you’ve likely heard the term DIR or DIR/Floortime. But what does DIR actually mean — and why does Dr. Greenspan’s version, The Greenspan Floortime Approach®, stand apart from other developmental therapies? Here’s a plain-language breakdown. What Does DIR Stand For?...
Due to class action lawsuits that have been filed, there is tremendous interest, especially by parents, in the relationship of autism and Tylenol. We are not lawyers and have no opinion on lawsuits. That noted, we are experts at treating autism and other developmental delays in children and adults. So, as an aid to parents...
This randomized control trial, the gold standard for research studies, found that after only 3 months of using Floortime at home, these preschool kids with autism (ASD), showed significant improvement in every area measured by the study!
The outcomes indicate the effectiveness of Floortime as a method for early intervention of children with autism. In their chapter “Early Intervention of Autism: A Case for the Floortime Approach,” child development scholars Rubina Lal and Rakhee Chhabria conclude with the following: Early intervention is very important for enhancing the development of infants and toddlers...
Introduction All people have a right to education, including people with disabilities. Some children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have significant challenges in their educational path, including additional cognitive delays and physical limitations. A study was conducted on two children, one male and one female, with significant physical limitations and cognitive delay, to see if...
In her book review of Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think, Dr. Karen Zelan says the following: The authors devote several chapters explaining to parents how the Floortime model works. Much of what the authors describe represents informed, effective play psychotherapy. What’s more, the model was devised so...
The core symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder are all addressed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s Floortime Approach. The three components of Dr. Greenspan’s Floortime Approach–a capacity for intimacy, an ability to communicate expressively, and the capacity for meaningful speech–address these missing or underdeveloped abilities of children with autism. Each of these three missing or underdeveloped functional...
Often, sensory sensitivities in children with autism cause very young children to protect themselves from what they, because of their heightened sensory sensitivity, perceive as excessive stimulation. This is especially true when that perceived excessive stimulation comes from other people, even if those other people are the autistic child’s parents or caregivers. Maybe the child...
How can a parent learn from autism therapy research to help their child? It can be daunting. This is especially true for psychological research on autism therapy. We have already written a parent-friendly guide for helping make sense of research on applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapies for kids with autism. Here we have translated this...
