The goal in DIRFloortime® for children with developmental differences including autism is to challenge the child with just enough playful tension, while keeping in mind where they are developmentally, and that the child stays emotionally invested in it with you, “like driving with your foot simultaneously on the gas and brakes”. Being slightly bored and sitting in that place of tension and subdued frustration is where the learning happens to promote thinking, relating, and communicating.

* Language Disclaimer: It’s important to note that the developmental components of the DIR® model are now referred to as “capacities,” rather than levels, stages, or milestones—terms previously used including when this podcast episode was recorded in 2016—because development is not necessarily linear. We no longer use the terms, “ladder” or “levels.”

Link to the full blog post with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the podcast here: https://affectautism.com/2016/07/19/developmentally/

Caregivers: Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network for support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: https://www.icdl.com/parents