Photo by Mikhail Nilov What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Topic The topic of this episode is the fourth Functional Emotional Developmental Capacity (FEDC 4) of the Developmental, Individual differences, and Relationship (DIR) Model based on the presentation our guests in March at the New York City DIR/Floortime conference called, The Spectrum of FEDC 4. This Week’s Guests Katie Shepherd is a DIR Expert and Training Leader with the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) and a Speech-Language Pathologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Sane ..read more

Photo by Anna Shvets What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Topic This episode we are discussing intentionality in the third Functional Emotional Developmental Capacity (FEDC 3), which is Intentionality and Two-Way Communication in the Developmental, Individual differences, and Relationship (DIR) Model, and moving from FEDC 3 into FEDC 4, Complex Communication and Shared Problem Solving. Our guests presented on Intentionality and FEDC 3 at the ICDL DIR Conference in March and you can watch that presentation here as an introduction to this podcast episode. This W ..read more

Photo credit: Giant Steps Autism Centre What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast I’m speaking with Marla Cable, the Assistant Director of the Resource and Training Centre at Giant Steps Interdisciplinary Autism Centre in Montreal, Quebec, which houses the developmental approach, individualized private school in the public interest with both English and French instruction, serving students aged 4 to 21 with an autism diagnosis. We heard about the school just over a year ago, but they have now moved into their new facility and Marla is here to tell us about the n ..read more

Photo by Christina Morillo What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast Andrew Klein is a DIR Expert and Training Leader and a pediatric Occupational Therapist at Emerge Pediatric Therapy in Durham, North Carolina where he has a specialized role in facilitating reflective supervision with his colleagues. He is also a certified trauma professional through PESI. He started his career at the Rebecca School in Manhattan where his Floortime journey began and he is the father or two active young girls. The topic for today is Reflective Practice in DIR. I’ll refer listene ..read more

Photo by Nicola Barts What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast This week’s podcast features DIR Expert Erin Forward, a speech-language pathologist and certified lactation counselor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She is a part of their interdisciplinary feeding team and their outpatient setting. Erin has advanced training in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, early language, AAC, and trauma–specifically for medically complex children, is an Advanced DIR®Floortime Provider, and a TBRI® Trained Practitioner (Trust-Based Relational Intervention). She i ..read more

Photo above: The Kredich boys performing at school. What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast This week’s podcast features Kim Kredich who has served as a volunteer advocate for hundreds and hundreds of students with disabilities in East Tennessee, working with families to help their children gain rightful, supported inclusion in the general education environment in public schools through the IEP process. She has worked closely with attorneys in Tennessee to promote systemic change and awareness of the rights of people with disabilities. Kim is ..read more

What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast This week’s podcast features DIR Expert Nagwa Khedr, who is an early intervention specialist in Cairo, Egypt. She’s been practicing DIR/Floortime since 2014 and was involved recently in opening a DIR/Floortime Center there called Etwasel, which means ‘Connect‘ in English. We met in person last year at the in-person DIR International Conference in New York City and have been planning to do a podcast ever since. Our topic is affect and regulation in the Middle Eastern culture as part of the ‘I’ in the DIR Model, Individual d ..read more

If I Need Help by Affect Autism https://affectautism.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-29.mp3 This Week’s Guest For this podcast, I step outside of the DIR/Floortime world to showcase If I Need Help, a non profit that reunites those who might become lost, disoriented, or need assistance in a critical moment with their families, loved ones, and caregivers using modern technologies in practical, accessible, and affordable ways–so providing assistance for our loved ones with communication differences. I have purchased their products since 2016 and I welcome Bruce Wilson today to tell us ..read more

Photo credit: Kat Wilcox  What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast This week’s podcast features returning guests, Special Educator Jackie Bartell and Speech Language Pathologist Bridget Palmer who are both DIR Experts and coaches in ICDL’s DIR Home Program, and who both teach courses at ICDL. Amy McMunn is the mother of two young adult autistic sons and a Spelled Communication Practitioner. Today’s topic is presuming competence, one of the pillars of the DIR Model and DIR/Floortime. Presuming Competence by Affect Autism https://affectautism.com/wp ..read more

Photo credit: Vika Glitter  What is DIR? What is Floortime? DIR Glossary This Week’s Podcast This episode, returning guest, Occupational Therapist, Stephanie Peters, DIR Expert & Training Leader and Clinical Director with Kinder Growth discusses the developmental considerations around sharing. A Developmental Perspective on Sharing by Affect Autism https://affectautism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2024-03-01-Sharing.mp3  Bonus Insights DOWNLOAD KEY TAKEAWAYS Key Takeaways PDF for Members We will never share your e-mail. Download Success! A Closer Look ..read more