DIR/Floortime® Model

The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders uses principles of the DIR/Floortime® Model for assessment and treatment of children with ASD. A description of this model is found below (for a more detailed description of the approach, please visit the Floortime Foundation.)

Floortime is precisely that: a 20-to-30-minute period when you get down on the floor with your child and interact and play. How can playful interactions help your child master the milestones? The answer has to do with the nature of the interactions. Certain types of interactions with other people promote a child’s growth.

Floortime is a systematic way of working with a child to help him climb the developmental ladder. It takes a child back to the very first milestone he may have missed and begins the developmental process anew. By working intensively with the child and parents, the child can climb the ladder of milestones, one rung at a time, to begin to acquire the skills he is missing.

The DIR (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based)/Floortime® approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and treating children challenged by autism spectrum disorders. It focuses on helping children master the building blocks of relating, communicating and thinking, rather than on symptoms alone. For a more detailed overview, read What is DIR/Floortime®?

“D” is for Developmental. Understanding where the child is developmentally is critical to planning a treatment program. The six developmental milestones (see website) describes the developmental milestones that every child must master for healthy emotional and intellectual growth.

“I” is for Individual-Difference. Each child has a unique way of taking in the world — sights, sounds, touch, etc — and responding to it. Biological challenges describes the various processing issues that make up a child's individual differences and that may be interfering with his ability to grow and learn.

“R” is for Relationship-Based. Building relationships with primary caregivers is a critical element in helping a child return to a healthy developmental path. “R” is a centerpiece of the DIR approach that encourages parents and others important in the child's life to interact with him in a way that helps him advance developmentally.

For more information about how the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders uses this model, please contact us at (248) 723-4ASD.