Don’t Equate a Sense of Humor with a Lack of Seriousness

Last week I gave a lecture as a part of a presentation at the ICDL international conference of DIRFloortime® on the use of humor in Floortime. In the lecture, I showed how a Pie Fight (yes a Pie Fight!) was the perfect vehicle for showing what a person could laugh at, at various Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities. It was a blast to put together (I got to watch hours of pie fights on film!), and tons of fun to present. At the beginning of the presentation I showed this clip of me presenting the Keynote at a previous DIRFloortime® conference in 2015. I am posting that clip again, to make the point that I made in 2015, and in 2022 in conference presentations, that joyful play is the vehicle for Floortime, but it is an absolutely serious method of developmental support.

Enjoy!

US Autism Association Worldwide Watch Party Free Access (I’m presenting!)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-autism-associations-worldwide-watch-party-registration-356783849097?aff=autismsupportdirectory

In Defense of the Valiant Resistance

This is a video of a DIR/Floortime supervision I did for a clinician working in a clinic with a child who was turning his back, and doing everything he could to resist the clinician’s advances. She, the clinician, did a wonderful job, and has made tremendous progress in her support of the child’s developmental growth. Then, the therapist told me of the previous group of therapists who said that the child would never make progress, and suggested to the parents of the child that they should separate themselves from the child. This video is my response, in real time during my supervision with the clinician, to that suggestion.

Presenting at the US Autism Association 2021 World Autism Conference and Gala

I am presenting at the US Autism Association’s 2021 World Autism Conference. This is a virtual conference, and I recorded presentations on two subjects close to my heart: Quality Autism Education, and DIR/Floortime. The first presentation on quality education is a discussion between the Executive Director of US Autism Association, Marlo Thurman and me, and the second, on DIR/Floortime is a panel discussion along with Stephen Shore, Robert Bernstein and Bridget Henn in the “Approaches to Autism” series.

Every year this conference has been a highlight for me, as I learn more at this conference than I do at any other conference I attend over the year. This year, because of health considerations, it is a virtual conference. The line-up of presenters is amazing, and I am honored to be invited to speak, not just once, but twice. The production values on all the presentations is of the highest quality, and I think you will find it a conference filled with presentations you will go back to again and again.

Here’s a little bit from the conference website:

“The US Autism Association is pleased to announce its 2021 World Conference and Gala. Within an entirely online model, this event will feature in-depth interviews, small group discussions, live chats with various speakers, and plenty of opportunities for live networking, connecting, and interacting with other conference attendees and sponsors.

In our continuing, 15-year tradition of bringing you the world’s best speakers, this event promises to maintain our small “family of support” feel to meet the needs of individuals at all ages along the autism spectrum. Recognized as one of the leading conferences that people on the autism spectrum want to attend, we at the US Autism Association hope you, your family and friends, and the medical, educational, and therapeutic professionals who serve those affected will join us and make this the best World Autism Conference and Gala yet!”

I hope you all enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed presenting!

 

Practical Floortime Consulting

Here is a quick video of me doing a consult to a clinic in another country. I listened to the clinician as she presented the child’s complex sensory profile, and outlined his pressing need. The government had supported his getting cochlear implants, and because he had not yet made great progress, the child was in danger of losing the government’s support for those implants. So, I made up a couple of interventions, supporting the child’s sensory challenges, and supporting the child’s speech production. I also made sure the intervention was joyful, so that both the child and the clinician would want to continue.

Gil on the “Affect Autism” Podcast

This week I’m in a discussion with my friend Daria at “Affect Autism.” She saw my presentation at a conference recently on the topic, “Good Autism Education is Just Good Education, and she wanted me to do a video interview and a podcast on that subject. You can hear or see the entire thing by clicking on the hyperlink above. In the five minute clip above, Daria Brown suggests that the educational system is geared to educate the 95% of the students in the middle of the “bell curve”, or normal distribution of students, and that is why it doesn’t serve students with developmental challenges well. I disagree, and the above is my answer and explanation.

For On The Floor #11

For on the Floor #11

I didn’t think I would need to do any more For On The Floor videos after I finished number 10. But, I looked around and saw that the schools I support were either having trouble opening, were putting together blended curriculua, or had opened and closed again. So, I thought it was time to renew support of families at home. In this video I try to explain the reason behind some of the things I have been suggesting in the other videos. I got the idea from a long-time educator I heard on the radio, who said that she thought we often tell parents to do things without ever giving them the “why” behind what we’re suggesting. So, here is a little bit of the why. I hope you find it helpful.

“For On The Floor” #10

This is the 10th video in the “For On The Floor” videos to support parents and caregivers at home who want to use DIRFloortime® in everyday situations. This video is about getting out and doing Floortime in “the larger ecological context,” as we said in Respecting Autism, as restrictions on movement in public places are lifting. I suggest orienteering, as a way to get kids moving in 3 dimensional space.

For On The Floor #9

This is number 9 in a series of videos I am doing to help people who are looking to continue their DIRFloortime® at home in situations they find in their everyday lives. In this video, I talk about the importance of play, and tackle a problem some people may be having with their anxious children. Often, you can play your way out of difficult situations!

“For On The Floor” #8

This is the 8th video in the For On The Floor Videos, videos I am releasing to help parents and caregivers do DIRFloortime® at home during this time of physical distancing. In this video I give a tip about picking toys that promote abstraction.