Has anyone tried Stanley Greenspan's "floortime" technique?

[mumgoingcrazy]

I have no idea if I am way off the mark here whether of course everyone knows about it, or they don't.

My DD2 (16mo) has GDD, but shows many autistic traits. Her eye contact is appauling and her interation is too.

Her development is going in the right direction and it seems like she is starting to close the gap, however I'm very worried about her socially. Her lack of eye contact and interation regularly means that people focus on DD1 more as they think DD2 is just not interested or "in our world" as my mother put it. I've read about Stanley Greenspan's floortime, but the idea of up to 10 30 minute sessions every day blows my mind (on top of all her therapy) and also, what kinds of things should I try with her. Any advice greatly appreciated.

A few of us use it. I think it's great tbh. You really don't need to start with 10 sessions!

Very short link I gave on here- but a useful site video a great way to learn floortime. There's a Play project DVD available as well which is helpful.

We do it as part of Ds2's home programme (he's 6 and at school part time). We do nothing like the recommended number of hours - he does about 14 hours a week and that's his total programme, including OT and some ABA - but have seen huge benefits. I think starting young would be brilliant - wish I'd done it!

Floortime has lots of fans around here.
I worked with DS1 about 1.5 hours per day doing a mixture of floor time/ABA/and my own thing. (ds also has GDD)

I won't lie to you, it is really draining, hard work, and there are days when you just want to give up, BUT, it really is worthed. Greenspan's book is great. I think some people here have done a course.

Go for it.

There is a wonderful article in this week's New York Times Magazine about a school that uses the principles of Floortime with great results. Here is the link
www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/magazine/19Autism-t.html?ref=todayspaper.

Oh wow, thank you very much. I bought "The child with Special needs " by him and thought it sounded a great idea. It says if you can start by the time they are 9 months you have every chance of success so thought maybe I was a little late. There are days where her eye contact is ok, but if she is at all under the weather we lose it completely.

Are there different floortimes for what you want to achieve, eg my main concern is interaction so are there certain things I should be doing?

I will check out the link and the news article this evening. I'm very excited about this now, I thought I was embarking on a marathon. I have given up work to do all her therapy (she has a LOT) so hopefully I'll be able to incorporate this into our day. Thanks so much everyone!!

Greenspan divides development into different 'functional emotional levels' - he recommends different types of interaction depending on which level your child is on (although they're likely to have skills across several levels if DS2 is anything to go by!) He's also become very keen lately on sensory integration work (possibly not so much about this in The Special Needs Child but more in his later books, I'm not sure?) We try to combine social interaction with sensory work, as DS2 both needs and enjoys a lot of this.

The Hanen communication course uses many of the same principles - if you google there may be one near you.

I also know of a Floortime consultant, but she works mainly in the US - spends every summer here though (in Somerset). If you were local to here it might be worth getting in touch with her - I know she's keen to develop her UK client base. She's a bit expensive though, like all consultants - charges about the same as a private SALT.

The New York Times article describes the benefits of Floortime when used in a high school setting. This was the first use of Floortime with most or all of these kids and the school and the parents reported a lot of success. Sounds like it's never too late!

Thanks Sphyil, do you know which later books cover sensory integration, as DD2 is tactile defensive and so far have been led to believe this is why she has GDD. We are just outside London, so Somerset is a trek, but I'd re-mortgage the house if I thought it would help!

That website was great jimjams, I've downloaded the home program guide and once I've read through it all, will hopefully come up with a plan. It seems that I do quite a bit already, mainly through doing Portage. Do any of you find that it overlaps with Portage, or other therapies?

I hope it can fit in, or manybe even tweak her existing therapies as the majority of my day is already taken up with therapy and I use my mum to look after DD1 whilst doing it which means I'll be the one solely responsible for this.

Do any of you have other kids, and how do you manage to rope them into floortime? Mine do messy play together, and play in the bath every night but that's about it really.

Another good site here. The web radio sessions are really useful.

Thanks Syphil, will have a look this evening. xxx

Mumgoingcrazy I cannot find much on sensory intergration in the greenspan books I have, but I have a little practical book 'Starting Sensory Intergration Therapy by Bonnie Arnwine which is useful. Your LO may be a bit young for this book but it may get you started. The out of sync child (Kranowitz) and its sister book 'the out of sync child has fun' is often recommended for children with Sensory processing disorder but I suspect these are too advanced for a one year old! (Ds was older when I first used them).

The "Out of sync child" looks like a good one I think.

My OT told me today she also thinks DD2 has auditory processing issues (new one on me, always thought it was touch that bothered her), and has put her forward for a full sensory assessment. Does anyone know what this means?

I never seem to be on top of things. Once I think I've got to grips with all her issues they add more. Does it ever end?

(Yes I agree IWF - I wish I had found out about floortime earlier!!)
Mumgoingcrazy - your LO is very young you have time on your side - find your feet and settle into what you can.

Thankyou very much, I originally wrote this post thinking I was too late, so feel heaps better that I'm not.

I've looked at the sites and listened to the podcasts and I'm so overwhelmed I've come to a halt. I know floortime is definately the way to go, but I really really don't know where to start. I literally cannot seem to get going on it.

I downloaded the home program guide but I'm still reading through all of that. I'm feeling very bogged down with all her existing therapy at the moment, I think that's it.

I've welcomed the full sensory assessment, just waiting for the date now. I just want to get going on it all, and have a proper strategy in place so I can get me head round it all, because at the moment they just keep adding to her issues and it just throws me completely every time.

You could start with something very simple. Watch what your DD does and/or listen to the sounds she makes. Join in with what she's doing. Try to get a 'back and forth' rhythm going. That's the first thing Greenspan recommends. It is very overwhelming at the beginning but even tiny steps are worth doing imo, and you do it at mealtimes, bedtime, bath time etc. You do sound as if you have a lot on atm though.

Thanks Sphil, we imitate sounds back and forth and in Portage we do turntaking (which we do daily). She imitates gestures too, if put into a song like "if you're happy and you know it". She will clap hands and blow a kiss if I ask her to.

It sounds like I might be doing a bit of it already then. As far as watching and joining in, she just likes sifting through boxes of cars or her treasure basket but when I sift through it with her, she's not acknowledging it at all.