We have been talking about autism this month on ADHD Central because April is Autism Awareness month. Many of our members report that their child has an autism spectrum disorder as well as ADHD symptoms. This is certainly true for my son. In addition to his autism, he suffers from hyperactivity, problems with concentration and paying attention, anxiety, as well as sensory integration issues. So for all you parents out there who have a child with a mixed bag of diagnoses including autism, I am going to be talking this week about Floortime and TEAACH as therapeutic and teaching methods to help your child. In case you missed it, last week I talked about Applied Behavioral Analysis, otherwise known as ABA and PRT or Pivotal Response Training.
What is Floortime?
Floortime is a therapeutic model for stimulating both cognitive and emotional growth for children with special needs developed by a Dr. Stanley Greenspan. In 1998, right before my son would be diagnosed with autism, Greenspan published a book with Serena Wieder called The Child with Special Needs. I had heard about Greenspan’s methods from other parents on an online forum and how pleased they were about the progress their children were making due to incorporating floortime into their daily routines.
A lot has happened over the years as this model has expanded and various elements have been added. This is an abbreviated version of Floortime:
• Floortime is child led, meaning the parent or therapist follows the child’s lead.
• This method is relationship-based, meaning that the interpersonal interactions between the child and facilitator are of primary importance.
• This method relies upon play. If the child is on the floor, you get on the floor with them. This model is not a “sit in a chair and instruct the child” method.
• The goals of floortime are to focus upon increasing the following core developmental processes including: focusing, attending, engaging, and communicating with purpose and intention.
• A therapist or instructor skilled in floortime techniques can train the parent to implement this method in the home setting.
What I like about Floortime:
Floortime is one of the first methods we used to help our son Max when he was just diagnosed with autism. I loved that it was child-led, we could do it anytime and anywhere. I liked the developmental principles that this method is based upon. It was a method, for me, which made sense. It stays away from rote responses and encourages meaningful engagement and communication.
I also liked it because it was fun. It fostered not only my son’s creativity but my own. This was a therapeutic and teaching method that I could enjoy doing with my child. I also liked it because for my son it was effective. My son was not talking or paying attention to us at all. Through Floortime my son learned to communicate in words and gestures. He began to interact with us in a meaningful way. It was the perfect early intervention model for us.
