Affect Autism

The last batch of episodes have discussed development and the developmental approach. We’ve covered how development happens spontaneously and cannot be taught, and how when the right conditions are in place, development happens. But what does “development happens” look like and what comes along with these changes? To help us unpack developmental changes, we have the privilege of being joined by Maude Le Roux, Occupational Therapist, DIR® Expert Trainer, and founder of A Total Approach in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: ⁠https://affectautism.com/2017/09/05/developmental-growth/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

In a developmental approach to autism, a good relationship will help you interpret a child's intentions and guide behaviour. Intentions can be misinterpreted when behaviour doesn't match. Knowing the child's intentions helps the child feel understood, reducing anxiety and behavioural outbursts.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2017/07/25/intention/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Floortime is a developmental play therapy that can be used by caregivers anytime, anywhere to promote relating, communicating, and thinking in your child with autism or developmental differences. The video here shows how you can use so-called "down time" in a car ride each day to get a rich interaction with your child that promotes development in a fun, playful way.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2017/04/04/car/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

In this episode, you’ll experience a different example using the Floortime video from last episode but this time with Dad’s self-reflection worksheet and feedback from our Floortime practitioners.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2017/02/21/self-reflection/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

This episode is another example of a 20-minute Floortime session. Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2017/01/31/analysis/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

This episode, I wanted to share a wonderful series on YouTube called Special Books for Special Kids. Read about the creator Chris Ulmer’s story of how it got started here. I think he is a natural Floortimer!Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2017/01/24/sbsk/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

In DIRFloortime® we “follow the child’s lead”. This statement has been one of the most misunderstood aspects of the practice. It does not mean that we just follow whatever the child is doing. We talked about this before, but now we will explore what it means in a bit more depth.Link to the full blog post with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the podcast here: https://affectautism.com/2016/11/15/follow/Caregivers: Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network for support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: https://www.icdl.com/parents

This episode, I'm sharing 10 Floortime tips Jake Greenspan of The Floortime Center in Bethesda, Maryland gave us when we visited with our autistic son in order to promote his growth and development.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/09/06/10-floortime-tips/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

“Early intervention” for Autism in Ontario (in Canada) has been in the news non-stop in 2016. The focus has been on who gets funding, but the most important topics have been left out of the conversation. This episode we cover patient-centered outcomes, parent choice, and disability rights.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: ⁠https://affectautism.com/2016/08/30/patient-centered-outcomes/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Attunement in a developmental approach to autism and developmental differences, like DIRFloortime®, is being emotionally connected with your child and all that they seem to be experiencing in the moment, sharing it together without judging or having an agenda about behaviour. When you are emotionally connected with your child, you automatically and intuitively take a respectful, developmental approach to interactions with them.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/08/23/attunement/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Scaffolding in the DIRFloortime® approach for developmental differences including autism means that you provide just enough assistance to ensure that your child is successful at something, without "doing the work" for the child. Scaffolding is helping your child to feel supported and confident along the way to autonomy. By providing our child with the feeling of achievement and success, they are motivated to persist rather than give up and move on.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/08/02/scaffolding/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

The goal in DIRFloortime® for children with developmental differences including autism is to challenge the child with just enough playful tension, while keeping in mind where they are developmentally, and that the child stays emotionally invested in it with you, “like driving with your foot simultaneously on the gas and brakes”. Being slightly bored and sitting in that place of tension and subdued frustration is where the learning happens to promote thinking, relating, and communicating.* Language Disclaimer: It’s important to note that the developmental components of the DIR® model are now referred to as “capacities,” rather than levels, stages, or milestones—terms previously used including when this podcast episode was recorded in 2016—because development is not necessarily linear. We no longer use the terms, “ladder” or “levels.”Link to the full blog post with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the podcast here: https://affectautism.com/2016/07/19/developmentally/Caregivers: Cons

Before children reach the capacity to be abstract in their thinking, you have to take the responsibility for their behaviour rather than punishing or expecting them to control their impulses. Once children are abstract, they are capable of understanding that other human beings have experiences that are different from their own, so you can set limits and discuss appropriate behaviour. Compliance alone does nothing to facilitate the necessary development of thinking, relating, and communicating. Focusing on connection and trust with our children with developmental differences, such as autism, is most important in facilitating a continuous flow of interaction with DIRFloortime®, working towards abstraction where a child is intrinsically motivated to follow societal norms.Link to the full blog post with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the podcast here: https://affectautism.com/2016/07/05/limits/Caregivers: Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network for support from a like-minded commun

Especially early on, parents can be completely overwhelmed by the grief that accompanies a new diagnosis or birth of a child who requires extra support. When grief hits, it can be completely immobilizing. This episode presents the Grief Recovery Method, which is a series of steps one can take towards resolution.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/06/21/grief/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Parents can find it challenging to implement DIRFloortime® with their child. This episode, we look at why this is the case by exploring the barriers that exist for parents.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/06/07/barriers/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Floortime is a developmental practice that can be used by caregivers anytime, anywhere to promote relating, communicating, and thinking in your child with developmental differences. The video here shows how you can use so-called "down time" in a car ride each day to get a rich interaction with your child that promotes development in a fun, playful way.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/05/24/floortime-in-the-car/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

An ideal DIRFloortime® program includes many components and therapies suited to the child's individual sensory, physical, and learning challenges where all caregivers & therapists are working on the same developmental goals using the same Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) approach to promote social emotional growth and development.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/05/10/ideal-dirfloortime/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

We present a tool from the User’s Guide to the DIR® Model, the book we discussed a few episodes back, co-authored by Dr. Andrea Davis of the  Greenhouse Therapy Center in Pasadena, California. We discuss the practice of self-reflection, which you can use in your Floortime sessions. I reflected on the Floortime session with my son, completed the worksheet, and discussed with Dr. Andrea Davis the process of applying this practice myself.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: ⁠https://affectautism.com/2016/04/12/reflection/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/

Setting limits with development in mind with children who have developmental differences, including autism, means being firm with compassion, warmth, empathy and respect. Being attuned to our children's emotional experience is the key to seeing their behaviour as communication, which will help us be a helpful, empathic guide rather than a dictator around disruptive behaviour.Link to the show notes with links to key discussion points and other ways to view or hear the episode here: https://affectautism.com/2016/03/29/setting-limits/Consider joining our DIR® Parent Network or becoming an Affect Autism member for bonus content and support from a like-minded community of Floortimers here: ⁠⁠https://affectautism.com/support/