Dear ICDL family and friends,

It’s all about relationship, isn’t it?   The third issue of the ICDL E-Newsletter finds the DIR® and Floortime™ community of professionals and parents ever-expanding thanks to the Internet!  It’s amazing what web offers us in staying engaged with the model and with one another.

This fall the ICDL Graduate School has launched their third trimester on-line.  The “virtual classroom” journey continues, with 28 new students entering our intensive PhD program in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s free web-based radio show continues to offer inspiring topics and vital information.  This past spring Dr. Greenspan’s on-line “Infancy and Early Childhood Training Course:  The Basic Course on the DIR®/Floortime™ Model,” reached thousands of parents, professionals and students worldwide.

It’s simply amazing what the new web-based technologies offer us in expanding our community and building relationships!

Yet, despite the advantages of the Internet, it doesn’t take the place of the personal connection. So, join us, live and in person for the 12th Annual ICDL International Conference:  Redefining the Potential for Emotional and Social Functioning in Children with Autism and Special Needs. Drs. Greenspan and Wieder and a host of extraordinary speakers will gather from Nov. 7-9, 2009 at the Hilton McLean in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia.  Read more about it in this newsletter or go to: www.icdl.com. 

Finally, be sure to check out the “Closing Circles” article at the end of the newsletter. Michele Ricamato, M.A CCC- SLP shares an in-depth look at communication and language development, with ideas for parents and professionals. This feature is always offered in “pdf” format so our readers, whether a parent, teacher, therapist or clinician, can download and print off a reproducible copy for yourself or for handouts for others.

Read and enjoy!

Lisa deFaria, LCSW, BCD
Jo Raphael, LCSW, BCD
Editors

PS: We continue to encourage your ideas and welcome your feedback. Please contact us at newsletter@icdl.com