What is there to say?
It is a truly sad day for the world of children in general, and especially for children with special needs. World renowned child psychiatrist, Dr Stanley Greenspan, MD, founder and creator of the DIR/Floortime model to help children with special needs, namely children with autistic spectrum disorders, has died today.
I never had the privilege to meet him, although I wanted to ever since I first read his amazing book “Engaging Autism.” I am currently enrolled in the DIR/Floortime online course, and everything he says is pure genius. I am using the present tense because I am of the strong belief that for those of us clinicians, teacher, and caregivers lucky enough to have been influenced by Dr. Greenspan, his work will stay forever. Moreover, the mark he made in the way children with autism and other disabilities are looked at and treated, is one that will for always remain.
Instead of this being a eulogy, I will rather share with you a quote and a video clip that sum up why Dr. Greenspan inspires me.
Be prepared for a breath of fresh air, a hopeful perspective on a very perplexing disorder. The quote is the second paragraph of Dr. Greenspan’s book “Overcoming ADHD:”
Can children and adults with ADD and ADHD overcome their difficulties without pills? The answer is absolutely ‘Yes’ for the vast majority. Attention involves taking in sights and sounds and touch; it involves processing information; it involves planning and executing actions based on this information. If you can learn to do these things, as children we’ve treated have done, you can pretty well pay attention. It’s not just about sitting still.
The video clip is a short and sweet glimpse into the broader DIR/Floortime approach to working with young children. It in no way does justice to Dr. Greenspan’s body of work, but it is a great appetizer.
Dr. Greenspan will be missed, and his work will live on forever. Let’s all celebrate his life, his positive influence, and great work by tapping into our inner child and getting down on the floor with a child today.
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