DIR 204 Learning Objectives

The DIR 204 course is designed to prepare a practitioner to be both an expert DIRFloortime provider and to become an ICDL Training Leader.

Following successful completion of DIR 204, participants will be able to...

Big Picture Thinking

  • Simply and succinctly describe the central ideas of the DIR/Floortime Model, demonstrating an understanding of individual differences, functional emotional developmental capacities (levels 1-9), and the role of relationship in assessment and intervention.

  • Demonstrate an ability to take an optimistic, strengths-based approach when describing and discussing individuals and families, respecting and promoting their right for self-determination.

  • Explain how other interventions that a family might choose could be integrated into a home and/or school program using the DIR/Floortime Model as the guiding framework.

  • Cite scientific evidence supporting the DIR/Floortime Model.

  • Assessment & Developing Individual Profile.

  • Summarize the individual’s unique profile, including individual differences, the nine functional emotional developmental capacities, and the individual’s relationships with caregivers.

  • Explain how individual differences can both interfere with and facilitate mastery of the nine functional emotional developmental capacities.

  • Explain the importance of “goodness of fit” (including individual differences, interactive styles, and cultural elements) when supporting caregiver-individual relationships, and when assessing one’s own work with an individual.

Practice: Floortime™ & Coaching

  • Attune one’s own affect to the individual (and/or to the individual-caregiver dyad), supporting regulation, emotional engagement, shared pleasure, reciprocity, and complex thinking.

  • Adjust one’s interactive approach during Floortime to support an individual in gradually increasing the duration and complexity of circles of communication based on their intentions, motivations and purposes.

  • Respectfully support the caregiver in discovering how to interact with the individual in ways that account for individual differences and lead to longer, more complex circles of communication.

Reflective Practice, Professional Identity and Training Leadership

  • Show awareness of one’s own individual differences and functional emotional developmental capacities, including preferred interactive styles and tendencies under stress (i.e., what helps you stay regulated).

  • Identify one’s own strengths as well as areas that would benefit from further professional development.

  • Effectively apply “use of self” descriptors and reflective practice skills when coaching caregivers, teachers or other care providers.

  • Use personal reflection (triggered by observation, group discussions, personal evaluation, readings and lectures, supervision, and more) to continually adjust and enhance one’s understanding of the DIR/Floortime Model and its application to one’s work.

  • Display high ethical behaviors and standards of practice, including adherence to confidentiality requirements and informed consent, as well as demonstrating an understanding of the limits of one’s scope of practice.

  • Demonstrate training leadership competencies by modeling reflective practice during an internship experience.

Applying adult learning principles to facilitate development of DIRFloortime competencies in new practitioners

  • Providing supportive and effective mentoring to participants of earlier courses (DIR 201-203), embracing their strengths and helping them expand and deepen their understanding of the model and improving their practice.

  • Inspiring new practitioners, communicating clearly big picture thinking competencies when teaching the DIR model and Floortime Principles, using video clips, narrative, and presentations effectively.

  • Evaluating participants of earlier courses with respect, based on learning objectives and course expectations related to DIRFloortime competencies.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is an intensive leadership course that helps participants develop competencies as Training Leaders in their communities and refine their application of the DIR model and Floortime principles at the expert level. This 14-week course requires at least 4 hours of practicum work every week, by participating as co-leaders of other courses (DIR 201-DIR 203) for 2 hours every week, help course participants prepare their presentations (approximately 30 minutes - 1 hour/week), work on their written assessment, supervised by the 204 Training Leader (approximately 30 minutes/week) and participate during the oral feedback sessions for participants (approximately 30 minutes/week). In addition, participants will meet with the DIR 204 course Training Leader every other week for 2 hours, where they will review readings related to adult education and reflective leadership, as well as demonstrate competencies of using video clips and PowerPoint presentations as training tools. Total time commitment for this course is approximately 5 to 6 hours per week.

Please review the current course schedule before registering to see if you will be available on any of the dates and times that other courses (201R, 202, and 203) are listed. Please email dirfloortimetraining@icdl.com immediately with your three (3) course choices and list order of preference. We will do our best to accommodate your request.