Improving Communication Goals with DIR/Floortime: A Parent’s Guide
May 26, 2025
Set effective communication goals with DIR Floortime, enhancing language skills and social interaction in children with ASD.
Key Points:
- DIR/Floortime is a developmental approach focused on improving social, emotional, and communication skills through play-based interactions.
- Parents can actively support communication goals with DIR Floortime by engaging their children in personalized, meaningful exchanges that target emotional and cognitive growth.
- Consistent use of strategies like following the child’s lead, expanding interactions, and fostering emotional connections are essential for progress in communication.
- Professional DIR/Floortime services provide structured support tailored to a child’s unique developmental profile and can significantly boost communication outcomes.
Communication development is a primary goal for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as many experience delays or challenges in this area. Approximately 25% to 30% of children with ASD are minimally verbal, using fewer than 30 words to communicate . Early intervention is crucial, as a meta-analysis of 29 studies involving 1,442 children found that early interventions significantly improved social communication outcomes, with the most substantial benefits observed around age 3.8 .
Additionally, a UCLA-led study demonstrated that personalized interventions combined with tablet-based tools enhanced communication skills in minimally verbal children . These findings underscore the importance of timely, tailored interventions in supporting communication development in children with ASD.
Building on these insights, DIR Floortime offers a unique approach that nurtures communication through emotional connection, individual interests, and responsive interaction. Below are key communication goals within DIR Floortime that support growth across verbal, non-verbal, and social skills.
How DIR Floortime Supports Communication Development
DIR Floortime is a developmental approach that fosters communication by emphasizing emotional bonds and personal interests. Key ways this method supports communication growth include:
Using DIR Floortime, parents can effectively set and achieve communication goals for their children by fostering these supportive elements, creating a strong foundation for healthy communication development.
Setting Communication Goals in DIR Floortime
In the DIR Floortime approach, setting effective communication goals is essential for fostering development. These goals should be tailored to each child's unique needs and capabilities to facilitate progress in communication.
Identifying Individual Communication Needs
Understanding the specific communication needs of a child is the first step in goal setting. Parents and practitioners should assess the child’s current communication abilities, including strengths and areas that require improvement. This can be done through observation, engaging in activities, and using assessments that focus on communication skills.
To better understand communication needs, it’s useful to categorize them by key dimensions:
- Verbal Skills: Ability to express thoughts and ideas verbally.
- Non-Verbal Skills: Use of gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
- Social Skills: Interaction with peers and adults in various contexts.
Establishing Clear and Achievable Goals
Once individual communication needs are identified, the next step is setting specific goals that are clear, measurable, and realistic. Effective goals should aim to be achievable within a set timeframe, enhancing the child's motivation and sense of accomplishment.
When setting goals, parents can use the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to create clear and effective targets. Here are some examples:
- Verbal Skills: Increase vocabulary by learning 5 new words per week (3 months)
- Non-Verbal Skills: Use gestures to convey needs in 4 out of 5 situations (2 months)
- Social Skills: Participate in a group activity once a week for social interaction (ongoing for 6 months)
8 Essential Communication Goals with DIR Floortime
To support a child’s communication growth through DIR Floortime, it’s important to focus on key goals that target verbal skills, non-verbal expression, and social engagement. Below are the essential objectives and strategies that guide this development at different stages.
Enhance Verbal Communication Skills
Focus on encouraging the child to use words, sounds, or phrases to express needs, wants, and ideas.
Develop Non-Verbal Expression
Support the child in using gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and body language to communicate effectively.
Increase Social Engagement
Promote interactive play and shared attention to build meaningful connections with others.
Encourage Turn-Taking in Communication
Help the child understand and practice conversational turn-taking to foster reciprocal interactions.
Expand Emotional Expression
Guide the child in identifying and expressing a range of emotions through verbal and non-verbal means.
Build Joint Attention Skills
Assist the child in focusing on shared objects or events with another person, a foundation for social communication.
Support Symbolic and Pretend Play
Use play to enhance abstract thinking and communication about ideas beyond the immediate environment.
Promote Spontaneous Communication Initiations
Encourage the child to initiate communication independently rather than only responding to prompts.
Tracking Progress and Adjusting Communication Goals
Monitoring progress is essential to ensure communication goals with DIR Floortime remain relevant and achievable. Because every child develops differently, goals must be tailored and periodically reviewed.
Parents and therapists can use observation checklists or video recordings to document improvements in areas such as:
- Eye contact and joint attention
- Spontaneous communication attempts
- Use of gestures or words to express needs
- Understanding of emotional language
Adjusting goals may involve increasing the complexity of communication tasks or focusing on new skills like conversational turn-taking or emotional expression.
Regular collaboration between parents and DIR/Floortime specialists ensures that interventions evolve with the child’s developmental trajectory, maximizing effectiveness.
Take Action to Improve Communication Goals with DIR Floortime
For families in New Jersey seeking expert support in enhancing communication through the DIR/Floortime approach, WonDIRfulPlay offers specialized services tailored to your child’s developmental needs. Our team works closely with parents to develop individualized plans that target communication challenges using play-based strategies grounded in the DIR model.
We understand how crucial it is to build strong emotional connections that lead to meaningful communication. By integrating your child’s interests and unique learning style, WonDIRfulPlay helps unlock their potential for expressive and receptive communication.
Contact us today to start making measurable progress toward your child’s communication goals with DIR Floortime. Together, we’ll create joyful, effective pathways to growth and connection right here in New Jersey.
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