We chose play from Affect Autism

Maude Le Roux returns this episode to discuss theory of mind: what it is, why it’s important, and how to foster its development in our children with developmental differences. Maude is an occupational therapist who runs a DIR® clinic called A Total Approach in Glen Mills, PA and she is also a DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader who presents around the world on DIRFloortime® and other topics that she has advanced credentials in.

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/2018/09/24/theory-of-mind/

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

This episode, Dr. Stuart Shanker speaks with us about how Self-Reg® came about. Self-regulation is the first functional emotional developmental capacity (FEDC) in the DIR® model, and Dr. Shanker was the lead researcher on the DIRFloortime® brain research study. Dr. Shanker is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the MEHRIT Centre. He is a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Psychology at York University. He is also the Founder and Science Director of the Self Regulation Institute at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.

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/2018/08/27/self-reg-and-dir/

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

This episode, child and family psychiatrist, Dr. Joshua Feder, who is also a DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader, returns to share some insights about how Floortime fits in with Buddhist philosophy. This is material that was presented at the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) international conference last November in Thailand and made into a book as well.

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/2018/08/13/dhamma/

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

I am delighted to share with you a wonderful interview with Atlanta Licensed Professional Counsellor and DIR® Expert and Training Leader, L. Mike Fields about gaming and Floortime! I heard about him through DIR-Expert Dave Nelson. Like Dave, Mike got involved with DIRFloortime® because of his autistic son’s experiences. Now, he counsels other families using a DIR® approach and has more recently started gaming groups. Let’s hear what he has to say!

Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2018/07/30/gaming/

Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Affect refers to the emotional messaging that expresses our ideas and emotions. It’s our authentic expression in our communication such as the tone of voice we use, our gestures, facial expressions and other non-verbal communication. This is our primary tool in Floortime!

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/2018/07/16/affect/

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

We develop within emotional relationships with our primary caregivers. This development progresses as a result of emotional exchanges between child and caregiver, or as Floortime calls them, "circles of communication." These affective reciprocal exchanges involve gestural and other nonverbal communication along with verbal communication. A continuous flow of back-and-forth signalling, or circles of communication, will defeat the need to be impulsive or withdrawn. DIRFloortime® works on the developmental capacities that regulate aggression. The earlier a child can develop these capacities, the less behavioural challenges as the child gets older and bigger because the child is happier, more in control of their world, and feels understood.

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/2018/07/02/circles/

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

A lot of programs and workshops attempt to teach emotions to children, but all you can really teach a child is how to label emotions. To learn what an emotion is, you have to be able to actually experience the visceral feeling of the emotion. This is best done through Floortime where we share back-and-forth, affective interactions with our child and can label emotions in the moment, as they happen spontaneously through play, or by commenting about the emotions witnessed when observing emotional expressions in others, and finally by co-regulating with our children when they are dysregulated.

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/2018/06/18/can-you-teach-emotions/

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

In order to facilitate our autistic or developmentally different child's growth using the Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) model and Floortime approach, we respectfully and playfully challenge them to initiate interactions with us and expand on these interactions to strengthen this capacity.

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/2018/06/04/challenge/

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

Jackie Bartell is back with us this episode for a fantastic discussion about a concept so essential to the Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) model and Floortime, and that is that we are human beings not human doings. Jackie is a retired special educator with the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) and is a DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader.

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/2018/05/21/being/

Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: https://www.icdl.com/parents