A pilot randomized controlled trial of DIR/Floortime™ parent training intervention for pre-school children with autistic spectrum disorders.

Pajareya et al. (2011) split preschoolers with autism into two groups. One group got DIR/Floortime™ parent training. The other kept their usual services.

Parents learned to follow the child’s lead on the floor for 15 hours each week. Coaches visited homes and gave feedback for three months.

Researchers then compared autism symptoms and emotional growth between the two groups.

Kids whose parents used DIR/Floortime™ showed bigger gains in shared attention, warmth, and back-and-forth play.

They also had fewer autism-related behaviors than the routine-care group after three months.

Eussen et al. (2016) tracked one child for three years and saw the same playful gains. Their single case lines up with the larger trial, giving a real-world snapshot.

Mruzek et al. (2019) tried a different parent program called Developmental Reciprocity Training. Their vocabulary gains were small, while Kingkaew’s emotional gains were larger. The difference may come from dose: W’s parents met weekly, Kingkaew’s logged 15 hours every week.

Burrell et al. (2020) ran group RUBI classes and still cut disruptive behavior. Together the studies show many parent-training flavors work, but DIR/Floortime™ adds a high-hour, child-led option for emotional growth.

You can teach caregivers to deliver 15 hours of child-led floor play without adding clinic visits. The study gives you a ready script: coach once, parents play daily, check progress monthly. If a family wants a warm, play-based plan, start with these coaching steps and track shared attention as your first win.