Customer Reviews

Floortime DVD Training Series. Set 1 The Basics: Relating and Communicating

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Another reviewer seems to be looking for a quick fix which DIR/Floortime is anything but. DIR/Floortime is subtle yet very effective for many higher functioning ASD children. It takes quite a while to learn DIR/Floortime through observing professionals doing it. These DVDs help broaden training, but they are by no means a replacement for direct observation. I don't think they even intended these for a replacement. These comments come from my personal experience observing several hundred hours of Floortime and ABA instruction given to my child by instructors with an average of 20 years of experience. If used properly, these DVDs are rather good. The production quality is NOT good, though. No Academy's here.

If you are not familiar with DIR concepts, I would recommend to read first "Engaging Autism". Anyway, it is the most helpful tool to engage not only autistic children but also the ones who are at risk. My two-year daughter is at risk and she is showing very good improvement. I strongly recommend it.

This 'training' series did not fit my learning style at all. Actually, Im not sure how they can even call it training. I thought different methods/strategies would be taught and then examples would be given so I would be knowledgeable enough to apply floortime therapy at home. Instead, the introduction on each of the DVDs in this series is the same. Even the books for the series are exactly the same in the beginning and end. The only difference is the type of children used in the play examples. Instead of being trained I feel like Im just watching different parents playing with their kids. Every once in awhile a suggestion is made to the parents on how to interact differently. I don't want to watch random parents playing with their children to glean from it whatever I may. I have never received any sort of training in this manner. It seems like they didn't want to put much effort into this training series so they just videoed a couple of sessions and copied them to DVD. Every DVD in this series was a huge disappointment and waste of money.

Greenspan seems to have the sexist view that if you are a stay-at-home mother, you spend your day watching TV and eating bon bons and you have a lot of time on your hands. His program requires 6-8 20-30 minute Floortime sessions per day, 3 15-minute running, jumping and spinning sessions, and 4-6 play dates a week.

I have a three year old with special needs who goes to six one-hour therapy sessions a week. Soon his schedule will change to five two-and-a-half hour days of developmental preschool a week plus four one-hour therapy sessions. I also have a demanding five month old baby. What am I supposed to do with the baby while I am having eight 30-minute Floortime sessions and three 15-minute running, jumping, and spinning sessions with my three-year old? Listen to her scream while I ignore her? Hire a nanny? This is not feasible for my family.

There are some good points on this DVD for interacting with your special needs child, but after I watched this DVD, I felt depressed because I know I can not implement this program because I have a baby in addition to my special needs child and a household to manage.