Understanding DIR/Floortime
A guide to the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based model and how it supports your child's growth.
What is DIR/Floortime?
DIR stands for Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based. It is a framework developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan that helps clinicians, parents, and educators understand child development comprehensively.
Floortime is the application of the DIR model — literally getting down on the floor with your child, entering their world, and building connections through play and interaction.
The approach recognizes that every child is unique, with their own sensory profile, processing style, and developmental trajectory. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all protocol, DIR/Floortime tailors support to each child's individual needs.
The Six Functional Emotional Developmental Levels
Self-Regulation & Interest
The ability to remain calm, focused, and engaged with the world around them.
Engagement & Relating
Building warm, trusting relationships with caregivers and others.
Two-Way Communication
Opening and closing circles of intentional, purposeful communication.
Complex Communication
Stringing together many circles of communication to solve problems.
Emotional Ideas
Using symbols, words, and pretend play to express ideas and feelings.
Emotional Thinking
Building bridges between ideas — logical thinking, opinion forming, and understanding emotions.
Why Choose DIR/Floortime Over ABA?
Many families are told that ABA is the only evidence-based option for autism. However, DIR/Floortime is supported by a growing body of research and offers a fundamentally different philosophy of development.
Where ABA focuses on changing behaviors from the outside in, DIR/Floortime works from the inside out — building the emotional and relational capacities that naturally lead to social skills, communication, and adaptive behavior.
Children in DIR/Floortime therapy often show improvements in spontaneous communication, emotional regulation, and social engagement — without the stress of compliance-based approaches.