HOW EFFECTIVE IS DR. GREENSPAN’S DIR MODEL?
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders are
usually presented with difficulty in sequencing their actions according to
their emotional intent and their desires. These children may have the desire
for closeness but they experience difficulties in translating these desires
into action. In other words, they possess the capacity for having a warm,
empathic and loving relationship but the primary hurdle that most children with
autism face is with their communication abilities and expression of emotions.
The DIR Model or the Developmental,
Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based” Model was developed by Stanley
Greenspan. It is a comprehensive and integrated model of human development
explaining typical and atypical developments including autism spectrum
disorders. This model focuses on:
·
“Developmental”- Six Functional
Emotional Developmental Levels.
·
“Individual-Difference”- It
bears the assumption that children with ASD possess unique psychological,
physiological, communication, neurological, motor and sensory processing
differences.
·
“Relationship-Based”-
Relationship between the child and his/her caretaker is a central organizing
factor playing a crucial role in their development.
The DIR model focuses on developing the
fundamentals of relating, communicating, and thinking by focusing on more than
just changing surface behaviours. Since
Autistic Disorders do not necessarily entail similar symptoms, problems in
every individual are dynamic. In other words, we are not dealing with a fixed
disorder that a child either has or does not have, but rather experience
certain challenges in their ability of reciprocating emotions and establishing
two-way communication to varying degrees.
The DIR model follows a method of assessment
which:
• probes into the child’s developmental
capacities,
• probes into the child’s individual
characteristics, and
• probes into the quality of
caregiver-child interactions.
Since emotions play an important role in
integrating all aspects of human development, the floor time therapy sessions
focus on the development of language, intelligence, personality, and social
skills through meaningful relationships. The sessions are developed while
keeping in mind individual differences between students; The sessions follow
the child’s lead and are built upon his/her natural interests. The interaction
is established according to the developmental level of the child and is focused
on repetitive interactive circles. During floortime therapy play sessions, the therapists
follow the child’s lead to affectively utilize toned interactions through
gestures and words.
The abilities of sharing gestures (both
complex and simple) and problem solving are developed through abstract thinking
and establishment of continuous circles of communication. Interactive play
sessions individually address the core deficits of relating and communicating in
a manner no other approach can. Interaction is the most crucial facilitating
factor in promoting development of children with autistic spectrum disorders.
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