Is Jimjams still around? (Floortime question)

[monica2]

Hi all, not posted for ages and wondered if Jimjams is still around, if you are I would like to ask about Floor time, or anyone else who has experience of this for ASD kids.

i think she has been on holidays - not sure if she is back yet.

I know a little about Floortime (I've got the book!). What do you want to know? I think JJ has a better understanding though.....

I know a bit too - have done a bit with DS2 and, like Davros, have the book! I'm sure Stanley Greenspan would say that 'doing a bit' of Floortime is a contradiction in terms though!

Not around much any more (went to the same course as sphil last week- and wow- completely changed my attitude to lots of things). I looked at floortime but didn't do much with it (think sphil did more). I think \link{http://www.celebratethechildren.org} are the best floortime people in the UK. I have emailed Sian Allinson in the past and she's very helpful and keen.

see i can't even do links anymore! celebrate the children

It was the Growing Minds course Socci. For me it was life changing tbh. I'm not sure it will lead to life changing events but it has made me change the way I think about ds1 hugely.

I'm not really that comfortable going into it all on here, but feel free to email me.
And the really good news is that ds1 is now imitating opening his mouth wide and sticking his tongue out. I am staggered beyond anything I've ever been staggered by before. You'll understand why

The other thing about the group was that it gelled really well. It was very positive.

Stephen Wertz is probably the best therapist I've seen in action (sphil do you agree?) His face is so expressive. Kaitryn Wertz just "gets it" as well. And her sessions made me change my expectations- which in turn has changed my behaviour. If I ever need counselling I'll ask her to do it (she does it by phone).

Of all the things I've spent money on over the years this was the best (along with Donna Williams- she's worth every penny as well).

And I got to sleep in a hotel and have a bath every night - bliss

Absolutely agree with everything JJ has said. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders since coming back. It was practical, positive and, even though we were discussing serious serious stuff, huge fun! I don't know if it's my change in attitude or whether the techniques we learnt are working already, but I can see a real change in DS2 in the week since I came back. He's taken to Discrete Trial work very well and is just lapping up the more 'high energy' way of doing things that Steven Wertz was so good at demonstrating. This evening I said
'It's bath time' and he said 'Time - wash' and pretended to wash his face.

I also loved being with such a positive bunch of people - everyone really threw themselves into it.

Blimey - do you think they want to hire me as a salesperson?

By the way JJ, our e-mail is playing up again, so if you're sending me anything it may just bounce back.

sphil you got my (ho hum) plot didn;t you??? I think I replied to your reply to that, but eagerly await refinements

ds1 keeps looking at me as if to say "what on earth has got into you?" He loves the high energy stuff. (although I find I keep saying "clever boy" ) I signed up for the 6 month distance course today- gave my card details by phone.

We have been doing RDI for 12 months now and dd has made huge progress and is moving up the stages, however we are due to renew our ongoing consultancy with our USA consultant. I believe floor time is the most similar to RDI in it's approach and since it seems more accessible in this country I wondered whether it would be worth incorporating this as well as the RDI, as the only negative to RDI is that we don't have a close consultant/therapist available in the UK. Growing Minds looks very interesting, how easy is it to get someone local to work with your child on this? Our ongoing consultancy is extremely inexpensive but it is purely that it is through videos/emails in the main that I would be interested in combining it with a more locally available programme.

Hi Monica2 - you know that there are now some RDI consultants in training in the UK? At least 3 I think. I believe our own consultant will qualify properly imminently. Does your consultant think Floortime is compatible with RDI - I understood because Floortime is primarily child-led that it didn't go great with the MA relationship?

Growing Minds are small- there are three of them (Stefanie is trained in RDI), so they do distance supervision. I love the fact they'll use lots of different philosophies to create something tailored to your child.

You could have a chat to them and see if they can provide what you need......

I think its hard to get floortime supervision in the UK tbh. I think its hard to get any local supervision other than ABA/VB.

oh you can go to Growing Minds for 5 days- should just add that.