Floor Time

Stanley Greenspan, the developer of the autism intervention "Floor Time" died this week at 68.

Dr. Greenspan was a psychiatrist who developed this influential approach to teaching children with autism and other developmental disabilities. He died of a stroke. He leaves his wife and co-author Nancy Thorndike Greenspan, who helped author several of his more than 30 books on education and children.

"Floor Time," as it is called, is used in many special education classrooms and therapeutic settings. It is one of the major early interventions for autism. Often times "Floor Time" is seen as an approach that is in opposition to other interventions such as behavioural interventions like ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) and clients are often surprised when I recommend both more traditional behavioural interventions as well as this more child centred intervention.

Dr. Greenspan encouraged parents, teachers and behavioural interventionists to get down on the floor with their child, even very young children, and engage with them with words, gestures and modelling in order to encourage the development of one-to-one interpersonal relationships and to expand their world of ideas, concepts, words and communications skills.

In 2000 Dr. Greenspan and Dr. Barry Brazelton co-authored an important book, "The Irreducible Needs of Children." In it he differentiates behavioural approaches from "Floor Time" in which the child leads. Dr. Greenspan found that babies who failed to connect with parents, for whatever reason, are deprived of emotional tools that he feels are necessary for learning and growth. These cannot happen without these ability to use these basic emotional ties. He writes, "Our emotions serve as the orchestra leader for getting the whole mind and brain working together."

While for a child with little communication ABA and behavioural training is a necessary component to teaching basic associations and skills, the emotional component of communication also needs to be focused on. In the best programs I have observed teachers work on ABA goals during several structured periods of the day and then spend several other periods engaged in "Floor Time" skills with children, letting the child lead.

Often schools and agencies want to limit the number of different interventions they use. But emotional contact, and teaching the child to lead, are critical to teaching the child to communicate in a human way. "Floor Time" may really be more about teaching the parent, teacher or interventionist how to follow than it is about direct intervention with the child. ( Another book I often recommend for parents of high functioning children is by Dr. John Gottman, Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child.)

Floor Time is hard to describe, but there is a wonderful video on Dr. Greenspan's web page showing him engaging in play with a child and his mother. Click here to get to the web page. you can also see him working on various videos on YouTube.

Our thoughts go out to Dr. Greenspan's family and co-workers.

Again, for more information on assessments for autism, Aspergers and learning disabilities you can visit my website at www.socialcognitivetherapy.com or www.drjimroche.com

I have offices located in Burnaby and Vancouver which are convenient to the entire lower mainland.