DIR® Home Program

For Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Differences

An autism and child development virtual parent coaching program to guide parents in implementing DIRFloortime® at home with their children.

What is a dir® Home Program?

The DIR® (pronounced with each letter as D-I-R) Home Program is a parent coaching program focused on helping parents strategically promote their child's development through joyful interactions and activities that help address the unique needs of their child(ren).  The coaching is provided to parents virtually through live Zoom coaching sessions with DIR Experts at the DIR® Institute.  There are several ways the coaching process takes place and at times your child can even be present, but no matter how it is exactly done, the Expert coach is providing coaching to the parents.  This is not therapy directly for your child.  A DIR Home Program is a comprehensive approach that is implemented by the caregivers and natural supports in the child's life.  Parents and caregivers know their children better than anyone else and these secured attached relationships are instrumental in helping children develop and overcome challenges.  

"By utilizing Floortime I found my son!  I FOUND HIM!  What sweet joy we feel each day we get to learn more with and from our son.  Floortime is magical:). Parents are looking and searching for that pillar of hope. Our DIR coaches have been that pillar and it has changed our world."  - A Current DIR® Home Program Client

The 12 Elements of Focus in a DIR® Home Program

Through the parent coaching process, the Expert DIR® Coaches help parents examine many areas of their child's life to develop a comprehensive parent-led DIR® Home Program that focuses on all aspects of a child's life at home.  The following elements are just some of the common areas that parents focus on when creating their own DIR® Home Program to help their child grow and develop.  

How to Create a DIR® Home Program

It is actually fairly easy to set up and very cost-effective.  Through a parent coaching process and many learning modules on topics important to helping your child develop, DIR® Institute experts can help you develop your customized home program.  We can also help you coordinate with your local healthcare providers to ensure you are maximizing your available resources, services, and supports.  It will take some work, but it will also be fun!  You and your child will most likely discover a level of joy and engagement that you have never had before.  A Floortime program can unlock the window of opportunity for growth and development.  If you are interested in exploring this option more, please sign up for a free virtual consultation or sign up for a 12-week DIR® Home Program now.  

What Age Children Can Benefit?

While DIRFloortime is most known for supporting the development of young children, it is not just for young kids.  Parents of children from birth through age 17 are welcomed to sign up for any DIR® Institute services.  DIR is especially effective in addressing developmental challenges, such as autism, that begin in early childhood and often impact a person's life throughout their lifespan. 

Guidelines for a DIR Home Program

For children who have significant challenges in relating and communicating—often diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or a multi-system developmental disorder—a comprehensive DIR program begins with a comprehensive assessment process that seeks to understand the complete individual profile of the child.  The assessment needs to look beyond simply symptoms and diagnosis.  The assessment needs to look at the whole child and all of their individual differences. 

The cornerstone of a DIR Program is Floortime.  However, it is not limited to just Floortime.  Occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, counseling, biomedical treatments, parent support, educational services, and other appropriate therapies should be employed as part of the DIR Program.  Click here to read more...

Integrating the D, I, and R of DIR

A comprehensive home program integrates the D, the I, and the R.  This is the foundation of DIR.  Bringing together these 3 key components in an integrated way that supports the development of the capacity to self-regulate, attend, engage, communicate, learn, and think/reason. 

The "D"

The "D" in DIR stands for "Developmental".  Understanding the "D" helps us understand where the child is at developmentally and where they need to go next.  This is important as it is easier to develop along a developmental path than a path that looks at specific skill acquisition. 

The "I"

The "I" in DIR stands for "Individual -differences".  This includes the unique ways each of us perceive and interact with the world.  Understanding your child's individual differences can give you the information you need to tailor your program to meet their unique strengths and support their particular challenges.  Individual differences can include differences in sensory processing, emotional regulation, motor planning, auditory processing, visual perception, health and diet related issues, and any other way your child perceives and interacts with the world in their own unique way.   

The "R"

The "R" of DIR stands for "Relationship-based".  Development happens in the context of relationship with others.  The secured attached relationships a child has with parents and caregivers is very powerful.  Our goal is to empower these relationships to strategically fuel your child(ren)'s development. 

Free Virtual Floortime Consultations for Parents

ICDL offers individualized virtual (live online) Floortime consultations for parents. This is for parents who are new to Floortime or parents who know about Floortime but are interested in learning about the DIR® Home Program or the Floortime Intensives at the International DIR® Institute.  This is a unique opportunity to individually meet with a Floortime expert to gain insights and explore implementing Floortime strategies with your child.  We will happily review videos of you interacting with your child to help you gain insights into his or her functional emotional development and to explore the Floortime parent coaching process so you can see how parent coaching and a Floortime program can help. Click here to see available times and to schedule an appointment (This is limited to one consultation per family and space is limited and available on a first come first serve basis).

Price

The DIR Home Program is a 12-week program payable with three monthly payments of $375 each.

This includes weekly live virtual Floortime coaching sessions with a Floortime expert.  

ICDL is a not-for-profit and all of our services are offered at the lowest possible prices we can manage.  If you are interested in any services and the prices we discuss with you are not feasible for you, please let us know.  While we have to keep our organization financially viable, we are driven by our mission, not by making profits.  We will work with any family in need to make our services as accessible as possible.