Research Progress of DIR/Floor Time Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Journal: Journal of Clinical Medicine Research DOI: 10.32629/jcmr.v6i3.4425
Abstract
This article reviews the research progress of DIR/Floor Time Therapy in the rehabilitation of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). DIR/Floor Time Therapy is a child-centered, developmentally oriented intervention that focuses on building emotional connections and improving social interaction skills. The therapy promotes neuroplasticity, enhances social motivation, enriches emotional experiences, and improves communication skills. Clinical studies show that combining DIR/Floor Time Therapy with other interventions can improve behavior, social skills, and psychological function in ASD children. However, more randomized controlled trials are needed to validate its efficacy.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder, DIR/Floor Time Therapy, rehabilitation, child-centered, social interaction, neuroplasticity
Full Text
PDF - Viewed/Downloaded: 1 TimesReferences
[2] SALARI N, RASOULPOOR S, RASOULPOOR S, et al. The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Ital J Pediatr. 2022;48(1):112.
[3] ZHOU H, XU X, YAN W, et al. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: A Nationwide Multi-center Population-based Study Among Children Aged 6 to 12 Years. Neurosci Bull. 2020;36(9):961-971.
[4] AISHWORIYA R, VALICA T, HAGERMAN R, et al. An Update on Psychopharmacological Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurotherapeutics. 2022;19(1):248-262.
[5] Hao D, Liu S, Qin Y, et al. A scoping review of family early intervention research for children with autism spectrum disorder. Chin J Child Health Care. 2025;33(03):313-318.
[6] CDC. Treatment and intervention services for autism spectrum disorder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html. [Last accessed 2022 Feb 04].
[7] Divya KY, Begum F, John SE, Francis F. DIR/Floor time in engaging autism: A systematic review. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2023;28:132-8.
[8] Li EY, Niu SD, Zhao PJ, et al. Clinical efficacy of "Floor-Time" combined with comprehensive rehabilitation training in children with autism. Chin J Rehabil Med. 2018;33(12):1465-1467.
[9] Zhao B, Ma XW, Wang CY. Reflections on Floor-Time theory and application. Mod Spec Educ. 2015;(18):41-45.
[10] You N, Yang GX. Autism "Floor-Time" therapy (Ⅰ): Relationship and expression training. Chin J Spec Educ. 2008;(09):35-39.
[11] Ma L. Efficacy analysis of structured teaching combined with Floor-Time in treating autistic children [D]. Hefei: Anhui Medical University Press, 2012.
[12] Salman AM. Using DIR Floor time based program to promote attachment behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. IOSR J Hum Soc Sci 2016;21:11–21.
[13] Yi XL. Early intervention strategies for autistic preschoolers from an inclusive education perspective. Manag Obs. 2017;(26):155-156.
[14] Sun BX, Lu LD. Application of "Floor-Time" in intervening emotional and behavioral problems of autistic children. Mod Spec Educ. 2017;(09):57-59.
[15] Xiong QP, Huang JH. Case study on "Floor-Time training" for high-functioning autistic children. Chin J Child Health Care. 2017;25(05):539-540.
[16] Ye B, Zhu XH, Fang SF, et al. Efficacy analysis of structured education combined with Floor-Time in autistic children. Int J Psychiatr. 2016;43(01):77-79.
[17] Lu Y, Zhou WY, Shi Y. Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with Floor-Time training on behavioral symptoms and motor function in children with ASD. Chin J Matern Child Health Care. 2022;37(18):3487-3490.
[18] Sun C. Application value of Floor-Time training combined with ABA in autistic children. Reflexotherap Rehabil Med. 2025;6(05):184-187.
Copyright © 2025 Yaru Zhang, Jun Wang, Lihong Ka, Bole Zhang, Ruiqi Tian, Pengfei Hu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License