Aha Connections - Providing DIRFloortime for young children

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A 2024 study found that adults who actively play with children become more empathetic, more engaged, more interactive, more patient, and more collaborative. 💭

Not because someone taught them to be. Because play itself changed them.

Playing with children isn't a 'waste of time' it's how you become a better teacher because play rewires how you show up. ❤️

📖 Fuertes, M., Fernandes, I., Azevedo, A. R., Morais, I., Tadeu, B., & Tempera, T. (2024). What do adults learn through play regarding interactions and communication with children? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 1–14.

DIRFloortime Translation Services 👩‍💻

Ever wish children came with subtitles? 😊

One of the biggest shifts in DIRFloortime is learning to look beyond a behavior and wonder what a child is trying to communicate.

What looks like “not listening” might be a child feeling overwhelmed. What looks like avoiding an activity might be a child telling us it feels too hard right now. What looks like silliness might actually be a child trying to stay regulated.

Every behavior is communication. Before changing the behavior, let’s take a moment to translate the message.

👇 What is a behavior you have learned to see differently?

The playground is more than a break in the day it is one of the richest opportunities for connection, regulation, communication, problem-solving, and social-emotional development.

In a DIRFloortime-informed classroom, teachers make the shift from simply watching play to becoming part of it. When adults join children with curiosity, playfulness, affect, and connection, play becomes a powerful pathway for learning and development.

Children do not just need supervision on the playground they need relationships, shared joy, co-regulation, and meaningful interactions.

“When we step into their world with curiosity and connection, we turn everyday play into lifelong learning.”

Tag a teacher who joins in the play 👇

In June of 2024, I left my full-time position .u.s.e.school with no real plan besides taking some time off. By August 2024, I started supporting a few families a couple of hours a week. By November 2024, I added Saturdays… and somehow now in May of 2026 I found myself working 6 days a week.

The truth is it doesn’t really feel like “work.”
The joy, the laughter, the relationships, the play, and the meaningful moments with children and families are what pulled me back in. I genuinely love what I do.

Today, I say goodbye to Saturday sessions at Preschool Pioneers (although I will still be there some weekdays!). I am so grateful for my Saturday families the connections, trust, and relationships that were built will be part of me forever. Thanks for letting me be part of your family’s journey.

Now it is time to slow down a little and enjoy some summertime fun ☀️

Through a DIRFloortime lens, we know transitions are not only hard for children , they can be hard for adults too.

Relationships matter deeply, and saying goodbye to meaningful connections always carries emotion. But within safe, connected relationships, we also find the confidence to grow, shift, and begin new chapters. 😉

Enjoy the summer!

When we slow down, simplify our language, and focus on connection instead of control, we create more space for children to process, engage, communicate, and feel understood.

Small language shifts can make a powerful difference:
✨ Use fewer words
✨ Slow your pace
✨ Highlight facial expressions, gestures, and tone
✨ Reduce constant questions
✨ Use declarative language instead of demands

Instead of putting pressure on children to “perform” with communication, we create moments of shared attention, emotional safety, and meaningful interaction.

Children are constantly reading our emotional signals, our warmth, affect, body language, and presence often communicate more than words alone.

Tag a teacher, therapist, or parent who values connection-based communication.

In a traditional classroom approach, activities are often centered around outcomes, finishing the craft, following directions, sitting quietly, and completing the activity the “right” way. Through a DIRFloortime lens, the focus shifts toward connection, engagement, communication, regulation, creativity, and relationships.

The activity itself becomes an opportunity for development through shared experiences and meaningful interactions. Instead of asking whether a child completed the activity correctly, we begin wondering if the child felt engaged, communicated ideas, problem-solved, and experienced connection within the interaction.

This shift also changes the role of the teacher. Teachers become co-regulators, play partners, facilitators, and collaborators within the learning experience. Rather than directing from the outside, they join children in the experience, helping expand ideas, support communication, and deepen engagement through relationships.

In a DIRFloortime-informed classroom, art becomes self-expression, sensory play supports regulation, movement supports engagement, and collaborative activities help build communication and relationships. Learning becomes more meaningful because development happens through connection.

Tag a teacher who is ready to bring more connection, play, and engagement into the classroom.

Playground time is about so much more than getting energy out.

In a DIRFloortime-informed classroom, the playground becomes a space for connection, communication, problem-solving, imagination, regulation, and relationship-building.

One of the biggest shifts we can make as educators is moving from supervising play to joining play.

When teachers step into children’s play with warmth, curiosity, and emotional presence, children feel seen, supported, and connected. Through these shared moments, we naturally support communication, social interaction, flexible thinking, confidence, and emotional regulation.

Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens while climbing, pretending, chasing, digging, laughing, and creating together outside.

Play is not separate from learning. Play is the learning.

Tag a teacher who plays on the playground with their students.

⬇️ Drop a comment if you are ready to join in play instead of watching from the sidelines.

Sometimes the best moments happen when we let go of the original plan and follow the child’s curiosity instead.

What started as “Let’s paint” quickly became a sensory science experiment, exploration, and shared joy. The focus shifted from painting on paper to discovering what happens when the colors mix in water, and that moment of wonder became the learning.

In a DIRFloortime-informed approach, flexibility matters. When adults slow down, observe, and join the child’s idea, we create opportunities for deeper engagement, communication, problem solving, sensory exploration, and connection.

The goal is not always to stick to the activity exactly as planned. The goal is to support meaningful interaction and development through shared experiences. Sometimes the richest learning happens in the unexpected moments.

Following the child does not mean there is no intention. It means we stay curious enough to recognize when the child is showing us where the meaningful learning is happening.

Tag a teacher or therapist who understands the magic of following the child ⬇️

Looking for a DIRFloortime-informed OT to support a wonderful 6-year-old through relationship-based, in-home sessions in Watertown, MA.

This family is seeking an occupational therapist who values connection, co-regulation, play, and meaningful engagement through a neuroaffirming lens. A background in DIRFloortime and experience supporting neurodivergent children is preferred.

This family is looking for someone who can build a strong, trusting relationship while supporting emotional regulation, communication, play, and everyday functional skills in a natural home environment.

If you are interested or know someone who may be a great fit please reach out to:
📩 [email protected]

Tag an OT who may be interested! ⬇️

Meal times are about so much more than eating.

In a DIRFloortime-informed classroom, snack and lunch become opportunities for:
✨ connection
✨ communication
✨ regulation
✨ social interaction
✨ independence
✨ relationship-building

These everyday routines are filled with meaningful developmental moments.

When educators slow down, stay emotionally present, and join children during mealtimes, children are supported in feeling safe, connected, and engaged. Conversations grow, relationships deepen, and children develop confidence through shared experiences.

Meal times can support:
🍎 back-and-forth communication
🍎 peer interactions
🍎 flexible thinking
🍎 sensory exploration
🍎 independence and self-help skills
🍎 emotional connection and community

In a relationship-based classroom, routines are never “just routines.” They are opportunities for connection and development.

Tag a teacher who is making mealtimes more meaningful in their classroom.