Become the Therapist Children Truly Need

Thinking Developmentally Through a DIR®/Floortime Lens

This is an intensive 10-month professional development experience designed specifically for occupational therapists who want to move beyond intervention techniques and develop exceptional clinical reasoning.

Rather than teaching another set of activities or treatment protocols, this fellowship will transform the way you observe children, interpret behavior, design intervention, and partner with families.

You'll learn to ask:

"What developmental process is unfolding, and how can I support it?"

instead of

"What strategy should I use next?"

Throughout ten months, we'll take a deep dive into the developmental foundations that shape every therapy session.

You'll develop a comprehensive understanding of:

Developmental Clinical Reasoning

Understand how development unfolds through relationships rather than isolated skill acquisition.

DIR®/Floortime

Learn to apply the Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) model with confidence and clinical precision.

Sensory Processing

Move beyond sensory strategies and understand how sensory processing influences regulation, communication, learning, and participation.

Motor Planning & Praxis

Identify the hidden motor challenges that often limit communication, play, executive functioning, and independence.

Attachment Theory

Discover how attachment shapes regulation, confidence, exploration, and therapeutic relationships.

Polyvagal Theory

Understand the nervous system through the lens of safety, co-regulation, and social engagement.

Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs)

Learn to recognize, assess, and support every developmental capacity through detailed observation and intervention planning.

Clinical Observation

Learn how experienced developmental therapists "see" children differently by identifying the processes beneath observable behaviors.

 ✔ Monthly educational modules

✔ Guided reading assignments

✔ Clinical reflection activities

✔ Video observation and analysis

✔ Case study discussions

✔ Practical application assignments

✔ Clinical reasoning worksheets

✔ Evidence-informed resources

✔ Downloadable tools and templates

✔ Certificate of Completion

This fellowship is designed for occupational therapists/occupational therapy assistants who:

• Want a deeper understanding of DIR®/Floortime.
• Already use sensory integration principles and want to expand their clinical reasoning.
• Feel confident with intervention techniques but want to better understand why children behave, communicate, and develop the way they do.
• Want to integrate sensory processing, motor planning, attachment, and neuroscience into a unified developmental framework.
• Believe meaningful relationships are central to therapy.

Whether you are new to DIR® or have years of pediatric experience, this fellowship is designed to deepen your clinical thinking.

Most continuing education courses teach what to do.

This fellowship teaches you how to think.

Instead of memorizing intervention strategies, you'll learn to recognize the developmental processes occurring beneath every behavior, every interaction, and every moment of play.

You'll begin seeing:

• nervous systems instead of behaviors
• developmental capacities instead of deficits
• opportunities for connection instead of compliance
• relationships as the primary catalyst for growth

These shifts don't just change your treatment sessions—they transform your identity as a clinician.

Every module will have the same predictable format:

1. Learning Objectives at a Glance – concise summaries of each topic.
2. Foundational Overview – introduction to the developmental capacity and its significance.
3. Deep Dive Topics – each using the consistent format
• Why it matters
• Quick Assessment
• Supports
• Common Barriers
4. Clinical Reflection Questions – prompts for self-assessment and supervision.
5. Video Observation Guide – what therapists should specifically watch for in recorded sessions.
6. Case Study Application – applying concepts to real clinical scenarios.
7. Knowledge Check – reflective questions or assignments to consolidate learning.

Presale Enrollment: Now Open

Program Begins: August 15

Length: 10 Months

Format: This fellowship combines the flexibility of self-paced learning with the structure of a guided cohort. Each month, a new module is released and designed to be completed over a four-week period through readings, video analysis, clinical reflection, case studies, and practical application with your own clients. While you can complete the weekly content on your own schedule, the monthly pacing allows you to fully integrate each concept before moving on to the next.

Live Clinical Coaching: Join up to four live Zoom coaching sessions each month to deepen your understanding of the current module. These interactive sessions are designed to help you apply the month's concepts to your own caseload through case discussions, clinical reasoning, video review, and Q&A. Attend as many sessions as you'd like—or join the ones that best fit your schedule.

Founding Member Price: $275/monthly 

Because this is the inaugural cohort, enrollment is intentionally limited.

Only 50 occupational therapists/certified occupational therapy assistants will be accepted.

Limiting enrollment allows for a more interactive learning experience and meaningful discussion throughout the program.

Once the cohort is full, enrollment will close.