On April 27, 2010, Dr. Stanley Greenspan passed away. Dr. Greenspan was the developer of the DIR/Floortime model for treating autism spectrum disorders. DIR stands for Developmental, Individual difference, Relationship based.
DIR/Floortime is one of the most well known of the developmental approaches to treating autism. Dr. Greenspan based his therapy on six basic developmental milestones that are often not mastered by individuals on the spectrum. They are 1- self regulation; 2- Social engagement; 3-Reciprocal communication; 4- Complex communication; 5-Emotional ideas; and 6-Emotional and logical thinking.
Dr. Greenspan was also the founding member of the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning Disorders (www.icdl.com). He was also the founding member and previous board president of Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. Dr. Greenspan also held the title of director of the National Institute of Mental Health's Clinical Infant Development Program and Mental Health Study Center.
Dr. Greenspan's approach, as other developmental approaches is based on the premise that children with autism are able to go back and master certain milestones that they were unable to master initially, due to the deficits associated with autism. DIR/Floortime focuses on the cognitive, social and emotional development that occurs in neurotypical children in their first five years that are the foundation to future learning and development. Through implementation of the DIR/Floortime approaches, Dr. Greenspan believed it to be possible to fill in these gaps present in children with autism, and many parents would agree.
The video below is Dr. Greenspan providing an overview of the DIR/Floortime model and his thinking behind it's development.
The death of Dr. Greenspan will draw a lot of attention to DIR/Floortime and developmental approaches in general. I will take this opportunity to outline the differences between behavioral and developmental treatments as well as describe each type of developmental therapy available for your children in an upcoming series.
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