When learning Dr. Greenspan’s Greenspan/DIR™ Model, or as it is referred to in its final version, The Learning Tree, it is important to understand why Dr. Greenspan used various terms such as stages, levels, milestones, and capacities in his 40 books referring to the Social-Emotional Developmental Levels/Stages/Milestones/ Capacities he became so famous for identifying and...
For most children, especially those with developmental challenges like autism, one of their primary goals is independence. While it is important for every child to live in the world without being fully reliant or dependent on others, independence may not necessarily be the correct goal. Why? When we are independent, we do everything for ourselves....
Many doctors and therapists believe that a child’s self-regulation comes from allowing the child to calm themselves down when stressed. Unfortunately, this belief leads to parents/caregivers being told to, While some of these parental responses can lead to a change in the child’s behavior, if they are used early in life, before a child has...
(Stanley Greenspan MD Inc. does not support DIRFloortime or its licensor ICDL) Before we get into what Following a Child’s Lead is and why it is so important, let’s discuss what it IS NOT. IT IS NOT, Ove the years I’ve seen many therapists and parents who have been told that these are elements of...
Most people think of social-emotional health and social-emotional skills as synonyms. While these are related, they are also different. Traditionally, social-emotional skills are often described as a child’s ability to be calm, listen, express themselves, follow instructions, share, take turns, etc. While these are all part of social-emotional health, the skills, like sharing and taking...
These numbers are often given to describe the degree or level of a child’s challenges on the autism spectrum. While some professionals think that a Level 1 or ‘mild’ diagnosis means a child just needs a little support or a little help to ‘catch up’ and teach them a few missing skills, the truth is...
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...
