DIR model is a relationship-based model that takes into account developmental and individual differences, often referred to as “play-based therapy” or the “floor play” approach.
The goal of the floor play model is not just to address surface behaviors and symptoms, but to build foundations for healthy development.
With this approach, parents learn to help their children develop critical skills that may have been missed during their development. These skills include forming warm and happy relationships with others, engaging in meaningful and purposeful communication (starting with gestures and then moving to words), and thinking logically and creatively in various ways, covering a range of sensory, emotional, cognitive, social, motor, language, and self-help skills.
As pediatric occupational therapists, we aim for maximum effectiveness for the child and family by integrating sensory integration therapy with Floortime.
Group Therapy in Pediatric Rehabilitation
Pediatric occupational therapists aim to enhance children's independence and participation in daily living activities by addressing sensory, emotional, social, behavioral, perceptual, motor, cognitive, and environmental issues.
They analyze the underlying causes of problematic behaviors in children with a holistic perspective, recognizing that each child is unique and creating client-centered intervention plans. They use sensory integration knowledge during therapy to help the child learn new skills more easily and to address sensory and motor foundations. By identifying the child's strengths and weaknesses, they collaborate with parents to develop a therapy program.
Pediatric occupational therapists work with areas such as autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disabilities, Down syndrome, feeding disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental disorders, motor coordination disorders, and sensory processing disorders.
As two pediatric occupational therapists, we conduct detailed evaluations of our clients’ individual differences and developmental capacities to decide on the most suitable matches, forming groups of 2, 3, or 4 children. We support sensory processing therapy, targeting sensory processing, self-regulation, body awareness, motor planning, and the development of gross and fine motor skills according to each child's individual needs.
In our group therapies, all children actively participate in activities and games, gaining skills such as taking turns, peer communication, social participation, self-efficacy, and bidirectional communication.
