What is the difference between floor time management and other approaches? As in other approaches, the Floortimer begins by observing the child and assessing their individual sensory-motor profile. The focus is primarily on the child's strengths, interests and preferences, i.e. how the child sees and experiences itself and its world. This is where the Floortimer comes in by trying to empathize with the child and respond to it in such a way that it feels understood by an interested fellow human being and accompanied by co-regulation: this awakens the child's interest in its counterpart. ‚Because there is no better feeling than feeling understood‘ (Stanley Greenspan).
For the Floortimer, the focus is NOT on what the child CANNOT or SHOULD NOT be able to do. The Floortimer keeps this in mind and at the back of their mind. But first and foremost, the Floortimer is there and present, without putting himself in the foreground by giving the child something to do. or expects him to do something other than what he is doing: ‚being rather than doing‘. Our aim, especially with ‚early‘ children who are not yet firmly established in dialog and ‚I and you‘, is to bring the child to themselves first, not to draw their attention to us
A Floortimer does not turn into a clown or try to draw the child's attention to himself or ‚get eye contact or words‘. This is because the Floortimer does not see himself as the main actor, but as a kind of stage crew whose task it is to support this child so that he can feel like a competent leading actor on the stage of life and shine in his individual role as a human being. My esteemed colleague Dr. Rick Solomon has compiled a helpful list of ‚interactive props‘ for interacting with ‚early‘ children who have barely turned their attention to the world:
Interaction Checklist FEDC 1-3 by Dr. R. Solomon/ PLAY-Project
(FEDC = Functional Emotional Development Capacity)/ Translation Sibylle Janert, 4.6.2021
FEDC 1: Self-regulation and divided attention
- What is your positioning? Are you with the child (‚being with‘) and close to him, or on the floor or facing him, or are you following him around the room?
- Pay attention to the Attention of the child? Where does it look? Where does it focus its attention?
- Pay attention to the true intention of the child? What is its intention? What is it interested in right now?
- Can you the child's subtle hints interpret it to understand what it wants? Are you „reading“ it correctly?
- When the child shows his/her intention/intention/idea, you react supportively and encourage the child to do what he/she wants, i.e. his idea? Can you accept the child as it is right now?
- Whose game idea is that? Yours or the child's?
- Do you use the „rabbit hole techniques“?
- Can you define ‚communication circles‘? What does it mean to „open“ a circle? To close a circle? Do you know how to Circles counts?
- Do you have fun together?
FEDC 2: Attachment
- Do you play at the right level? Too high (child does not understand)? Too low (the child does not participate)?
- Can you involve the child by follow his lead?
- Are you enthusiastic, animated, silly, funny? With voice, gestures, actions, so that it is fun?
- Are you in the right sensory mode, to involve and respond to the child? Maybe you need to change it (i.e. avoid visually absorbing activities) to get better engagement.
- Get 3-4 communication circles going? You know, how to count communication circles?
- How long can you keep the engagement going by being dramatic, silly, funny and empathetic to his interests (are you already sweating?)?
- Do you have fun together?
FEDC 3: Back and forth communication
- Slow down your pace and wait long enough, to get reactions from the child?
- Can you 6-10 Communication circles keep it going?
- Do you think ‚in circles‘ when playing and do you aim for longer chains of interaction?
- Who opens the first circle? Are you waiting for it?, that the child starts and takes the initiative?
- Do you use „theme and variation“ to be inventive in your game?
- Do you associate words with routines and funny events? Does the child understand routines when you refer to them? Does it respond to its name?
- Do you already see imitations?
- Any word gestures? Like for „more“, waving goodbye, showing something?
- Do you still have fun together?
Rabbit hole techniques (for FEDC 1/2):
- Being there (‚being with‘), i.e. paying full attention to the child and waiting expectantly
- Intention/ intention ‚tell‘/ describe
- Parallel play/imitation
- Help the child to fulfill HIS intentions
- Expand, i.e.
Theme & Variation (for FEDC 2/3):
Open and close the door. Open and close the door with a song. Put your hand in the door and close it (gently) and say „Ouch“. Hold the door shut until the child complains. Play peek-a-boo on the other side of the door. Use a doll/ teddy bear to play peekaboo. Let the doll's head get stuck in the door and cry. Bump your head on the door and drop dead. Build joyful
