What Is DIR?
The Developmental Individual Differences Relationship-based (DIR®) Model is an evidence based method developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. It is commonly utilized with children with educational, social-emotional, mental health, and/or developmental challenges, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. The core belief of Greenspan’s Floortime Approach is that meaningful relationships and healthy development are the foundations of true learning, including academic skills.
Dr. Greenspan identified six core developmental capacities and three additional ones, that every child should master. The six core developmental milestones or Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDC - http://www.icdl.com/dir/fedcs ), include attention and regulation, engagement, purposeful communication, problem solving, using ideas creatively and logically. The additional three describe a more advanced level of reflective thinking. The goal of Floortime is to follow the child's lead and create opportunities and challenges that help the child master each milestone through engaging and joyful interactions.
“We have to teach a child how to be calm and how to enjoy it.”
