Online Conference for Floortime/DIR

Floortime/DIR is Stanley Greenspan’s Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based Model for the treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disorders. The method teaches a way to assess and interact with children who may not be able to connect in more traditional ways. The online Floortime/DIR conference is starting in April and registration is open now. It’s open to both professionals and parents.
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I attended this online conference last year, and I was really pleased with the material presented. Greenspan’s books are also packed with information, but the online conference gave access to a number of video tapes of Dr. Greenspan and other professionals working with families. The tapes could be viewed repeatedly, in order to really capture the subtleties of Greenspan’s interventions. After instruction, the parents were able to change their interactions with their children and the viewer could see the results of these changes. Greenspan then commented on the tapes. 

There was also a forum for those who want to ask questions or connect with others attending the conference. Many local groups, including one here in the San Francisco Bay area, formed after the conference.

DIR/Floortime can be used by families all the time, for every interaction with their children, but it can also just be a way for parents to rethink how to engage their autistic kids. Because parents are the ones working with the kids, it can be quite a bit less expensive than other interventions, and of course, the intervention can be quite frequent, since parents get to be with their kids on a daily basis.

Check out this link to the conference if you’re interested, and thanks to reader [email protected] for the comment that directed me to the registration site.