Decoding Therapy "Lingo"

Do you ever feel like there is a secret "Floortime" code that your therapist is using to describe your
child's development? Maybe you are reading a report, or chatting during session, and your therapist starts rambling off lingo that makes your eyes glaze over.

As much as we try to avoid this, there are certain words and phrases that come up in the world of DIR/Floortime, and sensory integration, that do not get as much traction in our daily conversations.

Well, I'm here to break the code. Here are some commonly used phrases decrypted for you:

Circles of Communication:

You hear this one a LOT. Opening and closing circles of communication is probably one of your child's goals. Basically we are looking at how many times you can keep up a verbal or gestural exchange with your child where you are all sharing the same idea. We count circles as back and forth exchanges, until someone is not responsive or non-contingent (a fancy way of saying off-topic).

Here's an example:

Mom: I am hungry.
Child looks at pretend food and selects a piece of pizza.

Child: Want pizza?
Mom: Sure.

Child hands the pretend pizza to his mother.
Mom: Uh-oh, it's cold.
Child takes the pizza and puts it in the microwave.

Here the mother and child have engaged in 3 circles of communication (I put spaces between them so you can see how the circles are opened and closed). It's worth mentioning that nonverbal gestures and actions can be a way to open or close a circle as well. Your child does not need to have verbal language to engage in circles of communication.

Here is an example of when a child is being non-contingent. 

Mom: I am hungry.
Child looks at pretend food and selects a piece of pizza.
Child: Want pizza?

Mom: Sure. Uh-oh, it's cold.
Child: Pizza has sauce. <- Non-Contingent response. It does not relate to what his mother said, so it is not considered closing the circle of communication that she opened. 

Here they only engaged in 2 full circles of communication.

Levels of Development:

Dr. Greenspan and Dr. Wieder are the founders of Floortime and they defined 9 levels of functional emotional development. We are usually focusing on the first 1-6 during sessions. Here is a link to full descriptions of the levels (https://profectum.org/about/dir/functional-emotional-developmental-levels/). Please read it!

I am going to break them down even more simply:

Level 1: Is your child calm and interested in the world around them?
Level 2: Is your child connected to other people?
Level 3: Can your child communicate with you in a basic way? (verbally or nonverbally)
Level 4: Can you child communicate in lengthy exchanges, and problem solve to get their needs met?
Level 5: Can your child play symbolically?
Level 6: Can your child make connections between ideas? (i.e. I am mad because you said no more cookies). 
Level 7: Can your child understand multiple reasons behind a feeling or situation?
Level 8: Does your child have gray area thinking?
Level 9: Does your child have reflective thinking about themselves?

Self- Regulation:

This is your child's ability to adjust their level of alertness and behavior to fit their context on a neurological level.  When a child is dysregulated it means that they cannot control their behavior without support. For example, they may be too excited to sit for story time and need a weighted lap pillow to help calm their nervous systems.

Proprioceptive System:

This refers to our body's ability to sense where it is in space. For example, if you close your eyes and can touch your nose you can a good sense of proprioception. Some children have decreased ability to perceive their body moving through space, and need work in this area. We address this through activities that put weight on your joints (where all the proprioceptive fibers hang out). So those wheelbarrow walking, climbing, and animal crawling exercises your therapist tells you about are to help develop proprioception.

Vestibular System:

The vestibular system is located in our inner ears and helps our bodies detect movement and balance. We can also use movement to help child get to an optimal level of regulation.

Calming vestibular movements:
-rocking
- swinging side to side

Alerting vestibular movements:
-jumping
-spinning

Speech vs. Language:

Speech: Your child's ability to say words. If a child has trouble with speech this is referring to their articulation of words, etc.
Language: How your child uses words to communicate. This refers to their ability to get their ideas, opinions, and needs understood


Are there other terms your therapist uses that are confusing to you? Share in the comments!