What is DIR Floortime?

DIR Floortime aims to promote development by encouraging children to interact with parents and others through play. It’s claimed that playful interactions help children reach milestones in their social and emotional development.

Other common names for this therapy include the:

• Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based Model
• Greenspan Approach.

Who is DIR Floortime for?

DIR Floortime is for autistic children and children with developmental or communication differences. The approach is most often used with children aged 0-5 years, and it’s recommended that children start this therapy as early in life as possible.

What is DIR Floortime used for?

DIR Floortime aims to promote development in several areas. These include:

• sensory development – for example, helping children make sense of what they see or hear
• motor skills – for example, helping children get better at physical tasks like tying shoelaces
• emotional and cognitive development – for example, helping children recognise other people’s feelings
• communication – for example, helping children learn skills for back-and-forth interaction and communication.

Where does DIR Floortime come from?

DIR Floortime was developed in the 1980s in the United States by researchers Stanley Greenspan MD and Serena Wieder PhD.

What is the idea behind DIR Floortime?

DIR Floortime is based on the idea that children move through stages of emotional and social development, building on skills as they go. Some autistic children and children with developmental differences might need intensive, individualised support to move through stages of development.

What does DIR Floortime involve?

DIR Floortime has several parts, including:

• assessment
• home and school interactions
• playdates
• specific therapies.

Central to the approach is Floortime. This is 2-5 hours of playtime a day between adult and child, usually on the floor. Floortime is usually broken into 20-30-minute sessions, repeated 6-10 times throughout the day.

Assessment

This is used to understand the child’s development. The therapy starts after assessment.

Home and school interactions

Three different types of home and school interactions are used during the therapy:

• Floortime – this involves play-based interactions between adult and child. For example, if a child is building with blocks, a parent might join in by copying what their child is doing.
• Problem-solving interactions – these aim to teach the child something new by setting up a challenge for the child to solve. For example, a parent might put a toy in a container that’s hard to open and encourage the child to solve the problem or ask for help.
• Specialised activities – these are designed to help the child with sensory development and engagement with others. For example, a parent might swing or jump with their child to help them stay engaged and manage their emotions.

Playdates

Three or four playdates a week with typically developing children give the child an opportunity to practise new skills.

Specific therapies

The child might also get therapies like speech therapy or occupational therapy.

DIR Floortime can go on for several years.

Does DIR Floortime help autistic children?

A small number of studies have shown some positive effects from DIR Floortime. For example, it might improve interactions between parents and children and also children’s social and emotional development.

There’s limited evidence of DIR Floortime’s effects on children’s communication skills and self-care skills. There’s also limited evidence that improvements are sustained long term.

More high-quality studies are needed.

Which professionals offer DIR Floortime?

A DIR Floortime-certified professional develops and oversees the program and helps you do it at home.

To become certified, professionals must have training from the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) or an ICDL-recognised training provider.

DIR Floortime-certified professionals come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and include occupational therapists, psychologists and speech pathologists. Teachers and other aides might also be involved in this program.

Where can you find a DIR Floortime professional?

Go to DIR Practitioners Directory to search for DIR Floortime-certified professionals in Australia. The number of practitioners in Australia is increasing.

You can find other professionals by going to:

• Australian Psychological Society – Find a psychologist
• Occupational Therapy Australia – Find an OT
• Speech Pathology Australia – Find a speech pathologist.

If you’re interested in DIR Floortime, it’s a good idea to talk about this therapy with your GP or one of the other professionals working with your child.

You could also talk about DIR Floortime with your NDIA planner, early childhood partner or local area coordinator, if you have one.

How are parents involved in DIR Floortime?

If your child is doing DIR Floortime, you’re actively involved because the therapy happens in your home 2-5 hours a day, as well as in other settings.

How much does DIR Floortime cost?

You might need to pay for specific therapy services along with the cost of a DIR Floortime-certified professional to design an overall therapy program and teach you how to do Floortime.

You can contact the NDIS to find out whether DIR Floortime can be included in your child’s NDIS plan.

Therapies and supports for autistic children range from behavioural therapies and developmental approaches to medicines and alternative therapies. When you understand the main types of therapies and supports for autistic children, it’ll be easier to work out the approach that will best suit your child.