My time on the floor

After 15 years of living and breathing Floortime, I figured… it’s probably time to start a blog about this journey! I’m so excited you’re here and truly hope you’ll stick around.

My Why

My Floortime story started when I was an undergraduate in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at UCF. A local family was starting a Floortime program for their son after realizing ABA just wasn’t the right fit for them. They were building a team of play partners — and I got lucky enough to join.

And that was it. I was hooked. End of my brand new career as a traditional speech therapist- or at least the box I was being pushed into.

Getting to connect with a child, follow their lead, enter their world, and support purposeful communication through meaningful interactions? Yes, please. All day. Every day.

What followed were over four incredible years of building a relationship that became my compass. We didn’t just “do therapy.” We performed epic Disney productions on the stage in the garage turned sensory room. We created characters. We solved dramatic storylines. We navigated BIG feelings and even bigger breakthroughs. TOOOOOOOTH!!! There were magical moments… and really hard ones, too. And we moved through all of it together. That is the biggest thing with DIR and Floortime in my opinion- the connection you can make and the relationship that you foster with another person.

While simultaneously taking courses in language development, phonetics, articulation and fluency, I was sitting on a couch with cookies and sub sandwiches, surrounded by a team of play partners from all walks of life, watching and listening to videos of Dr. Greenspan talk about DIR. He didn't just talk- he LIT UP the rooms he was in with his passion for his work. And I was just in awe. We’d pause the videos, rewind them, discuss ideas, take notes, and leave feeling completely inspired for our next session with this awesome kiddo.

To this day, I can still hear parts of those lectures. I remember the conversations, the energy in the room, and the spark we felt walking into our next visit.

That experience didn’t just shape how I practice — it shaped who I am. To my core.

And this blog? It’s a little window into everything that journey has taught me.

Up next- how I got a job working at The Floortime Center with Jake Greenspan and Tim Bleecker and the six years that followed.