Can I combine DIR/Floortime with other approaches and services?

Yes.  DIR/Floortime is not a specific technique; rather it is a framework for understanding each child and creating a comprehensive program tailored to his needs.  This may include many different approaches and services.  What is important is that the elements be integrated using the guiding principles of DIR/Floortime:  understand where the child is developmentally in terms of his mastery of the foundations of relating, communicating and thinking; identify the child’s individual processing differences (such as auditory processing, motor planning and sensory modulation); and tailor relationships between the child and those important in his life in a way that promotes his mastery of the foundations.

• For example, my child has problems with language but also needs occupational and physical therapies - can I combine these therapies with DIR/Floortime?

The DIR/Floortime approach provides a framework for understanding each child’s unique needs and tailoring a program ideally suited to help him advance developmentally.  Within this framework there are many therapies, including speech, occupational and physical therapies, that may be appropriate for a particular child.  DIR/Floortime lays out principles and guidelines for how to incorporate various therapies as well as other components in a comprehensive program. 

For more information see “Guidelines for a Comprehensive Intervention Approach”, and the Clinical Practice Guidelines, a more technical guide intended for professionals but which some parents may find helpful.