Beyond Just Play: The Power of Challenging and Expanding in Greenspan Floortime® When parents and professionals first discover the official Greenspan Floortime Approach®, they are often introduced to the foundational rule: Follow the Child’s Lead. While following the child’s lead is the vital “doorstep” into their world, a common misunderstanding is that Floortime stops there....
Changing the Way We See Behavior When a child falls apart, screams, refuses to follow directions, or hits, our first instinct as adults is often to stop the behavior as quickly as possible. We build reward charts, offer allowances, or set up timeouts. For a long time, the dominant professional approach has reinforced this: treat...
New neuroscience research reveals how over-reliance on positive reinforcement can trap children in rigid learning loops — and how the Greenspan Floortime Approach® builds true cognitive flexibility.
Many parents, SLP’s, and educators use the terms “communication” and “language” interchangeably. However, in the world of child development—these two processes are distinct, though deeply intertwined. Understanding the difference is not just an academic exercise; it is the key to supporting children with developmental delays, and specifically those with communication delays (not language delays) such...
True Regulation isn’t just about being “calm” or “well-behaved.” It’s about how a child’s nervous system takes in and organizes sensory and emotional experience—because those two systems must work together, all the time. Research into neuroplasticity and child development suggests that the brain’s architecture is built through the “serve and return” of social interaction (aka...
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?...
If you’ve been told your child would benefit from Floortime therapy but aren’t sure where to start at home, you’re in the right place. The Greenspan Floortime Approach® was developed by Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan — one of the world’s leading child psychiatrists — and it’s something every parent can learn to do, right on...
Imagine a child getting dressed in the morning. Before a single button is fastened, the brain must perform an extraordinary series of tasks: remember what comes first, plan each step, sequence the actions in the right order, and adjust when something doesn’t go as expected. This invisible mental choreography is called executive functioning — and...
Why ADLs Aren’t “Just Skills”—They’re Developmental Opportunities How Greenspan Floortime® builds real-life interdependence through connection. Greenspan Floortime® is widely recognized as a child-centered, thinking-based approach using play and meaningful relationships to encourage child development. However, one of its most practical and powerful applications happens outside of traditional therapy sessions—it happens during everyday Activities of Daily...
