Our Commitment to the DIR Floortime Approach for Children
At our practice, we are passionate about continuing to grow and evolve as clinicians so we can provide the most meaningful support for the children and families we work with. One of the ways we are doing this is through our ongoing commitment to DIR® Floortime – a developmental, play-based therapy approach widely used to support children’s social, communication, and emotional development.
What is DIR Floortime?
Created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, DIR® Floortime is a developmental, relationship-based model that supports children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development through meaningful interactions and play. It is often used to support children on the autism spectrum, as well as children with developmental challenges, communication delays, and sensory processing challenges.
The approach looks at the whole child – including their emotional development, sensory processing, communication style, and individual differences – while recognising and building on each child’s strengths.
In practice, this often means following a child’s interests during play, joining them at their level, and using those shared interactions to support engagement, communication, problem solving, and regulation. Through strong relationships and back-and-forth interaction, therapists help children develop the foundational skills needed for learning, relationships, and participation in everyday life.
Continuing our professional development
As a team, we are proud to be continuing our professional development and capacity in this area. Currently:
- Four therapists in our team are trained in DIR Floortime
- Two therapists are continuing with advanced training
- Two additional therapists will be commencing training later this year
This commitment reflects our belief that ongoing learning is essential to providing high-quality, child-centred care. Expanding our team’s understanding of the DIR model helps us better support how children process sensory information, engage in relationships, and build the skills needed for participation at home, school, and in the community.
By investing in this training, we are strengthening our ability to support children through play-based, relationship-focused therapy that respects each child’s unique way of learning and connecting with others.
What this may look like in therapy
Families may notice therapists spending time getting on the floor to play with children, following their interests, and creating opportunities for shared interaction. Sessions might involve games, movement, pretend play, or collaborative problem solving – all designed to support regulation, engagement, communication, and thinking.
Parents and caregivers are also an important part of the process. We often work together to explore simple ways these interactions can continue at home through everyday routines and play.
This approach can be particularly supportive for autistic children, as it focuses on building connection, shared attention, and communication through relationships and play, rather than focusing only on isolated skills.
Many of these principles are naturally integrated into our speech therapy and occupational therapy sessions, helping children strengthen communication, engagement, and confidence in meaningful ways.
We look forward to continuing to grow our skills and bringing these insights into our work with the wonderful children and families in our community.