The Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based model is a multi-faceted approach for youth with autism and/or developmental delay.
In the 1980s, Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Serena Weider looked at the autistic population and noticed their strengths, in addition to the need for a new approach to building social relationships and engagement. DIR/Floortime looks at an individual’s development, according to Dr. Greenspan’s Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities, which reflect predictable development across the lifespan.
Dr. Stanley Greenspan is the founder of the International Council on Development and Learning, also known as ICDL, formed in 1990. ICDL continues to train professionals, coach caregivers as well as provide a variety of programs to promote understanding and education for families and professionals.
Kinder Growth Therapy has been developed with the support of ICDL. We are a DIR Accredited Organization and continue to follow all the guidelines and updates created by ICDL. We aim to bring the benefits of DIR/Floortime through home and center based support.
The Floortime Player gets down on the floor to play and interact with the child over the child’s interests. During these sessions, the player helps support the child’s regulation while climbing up the developmental ladder, to create more joyful and positive experiences for the child.
DIR/Floortime can be done anywhere at any time, and all day every day.
Check out this great introductory video to DIR/Floortime from Dr. Stanley Greenspan
DIR/Floortime takes place in a calm, familiar environment. The child’s home or our Kinder Growth Center are ideal for DIR/Floortime therapy. During a session, the Floortime Player joins in the child’s activities and follows the child’s interest and ideas. The caregiver or provider then engages the child in increasingly complex interactions. Sessions emphasize back-and-forth play. This helps build the foundation for shared attention, as well as engagement and problem solving.
Evidence Based &
Backed By Research
DIR/Floortime has gained in popularity for its neurodiversity affirming approach. There have now been many independent studies performed that have had very positive results supporting the effectiveness of DIR/Floortime therapy. Additional research can be seen here!
DIR stands for Developmental, Individual Differences and Relationship-Based.
Understanding where your child is developmentally will help you identify what areas need to be targeted. The Floortime approach has 9 Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities. The goal is to identify what Capacity your child is functioning at and which capacities require support. We aim to “fill in the gaps”. Using this information, we strengthen the current capacity to lead them to the next capacity. This is done through relationships and play.
This refers to identifying a child’s unique way of processing the world. We think about their sensory differences, their individual strengths and abilities.
Understanding where your child is developmentally will help you identify what areas need to be targeted. The Floortime approach has 9 Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities. The goal is to identify what Capacity your child is functioning at and which capacities require support. We aim to “fill in the gaps”. Using this information, we strengthen the current capacity to lead them to the next capacity. This is done through relationships and play.
Stephanie Peters OTR/L DIR/Floortime Expert Training Leader
Clinical Director
Stephanie Peters MS, OTR/L is Kinder Growth Therapy’s Clinical Director and an occupational therapist who hopes to cultivate a joyful experience that helps empower families to realize their greatest potential. After graduating from Sacred Heart University in 2012 with her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy, she has achieved her certification as a DIR/Floortime Expert Training Leader with ICDL and is certified in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder by the Sensory Treatment and Research Institute. She has co-authored the article, “Combining DIR/Floortime and Sensory Integration for Children with ASD” which has been published by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Stephanie has experience in a variety of pediatric settings and populations including parent coaching, Early Intervention, brain injury and cognitive rehabilitation, school based therapy, aquatic therapy and outpatient practices.
Sari Levin MsED DIR/Floortime Advanced Certification
Director
Sari Levin is the Director at Kinder Growth. As the Director, Sari oversees family and therapist relationships as well as provides parent training and support to our families. Sari’s wide range of experiences with the Autistic population has fostered her love for the work that she does.
As a child, Sari always had a passion for engaging and building relationships with the neurodivergent population. Throughout her school years, she supervised different programs to support children with special needs and their families. Sari continued on to receive a Masters in Special Education in Early and Middle Childhood through Daemen College in New York. After multiple years of teaching in the “School for Children with Hidden Intelligence “, Sari found her love for DIRFloortime. Sari has been trained through the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) and is an Advanced DIRFloortime coach. She continues to follow her passion for DIRFloortime through working with children and supporting their families.
Meghan Gorman MsED DIR/Floortime Expert Training Leader
Clinical Manager
Meghan Gorman is the Clinical Manager at Kinder Growth. As Clinical Manager, Meghan supports Floortime Players and families on a weekly basis to provide coaching, feedback and support, collaborating throughout this DIR/Floortime journey. Meghan is a friendly and passionate person who truly enjoys supporting, listening to, and learning from co-workers and the families she works with each day. She thoroughly enjoys hearing from families about their children’s growth through this play-based developmental approach.
Meghan began volunteering at a summer camp as a teenager, which fostered her passion for working with neurodivergent individuals. She went on to work at Rebecca School in Manhattan where she first learned about DIR/Floortime, and there she worked as a Special Education Teacher. She often collaborated with the social worker to support and build relationships with the families, helping to bridge the gap from home and school. She completed her Masters Degree in General and Special Education from CUNY Hunter College. In addition, Meghan has been trained through the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) and is an Expert Level DIR/Floortime Coach. She is excited to continue this journey through supporting children and building relationships with their families.
Kathy Flentge OTR/L DIR/Floortime Advanced Certification
Clinical Supervisor
Kathy OTR/L is a clinical supervisor at Kinder Growth and has practiced DIRFloortime for more than half of her career. Along with treatment experience, she teaches and supports various professionals through clinical supervision, helping others understand how ones’ body, sensory processing abilities, regulation, and behavior interact. As Kathy has “played with a purpose” for years, she delights in helping parents and therapists understand the children in their lives, and feel more connected in their relationships. As a mom of two girls, she brings parent perspective and practicality to her work, and recognizes the transforming power a parent has in supporting growth and depth of development through riding the waves of emotions hand in hand.
