a fundamental assumption that emotions are the foundation of a child's development. It involves meeting a child at his or her current developmental level, and challenging them to move up the hierarchy of milestones outlined in the DIR Model. Once the child connects with the adult specific techniques are used to challenge and entice the child to move up the developmental ladder. The DIR/Floortime Model calls for 15 hours/week of parent and clinician-conducted intervention, with the parent implementing the method in 20- to 30- minute sessions for 8–12 times per day. During each Floortime session, the child takes the lead by using pretend play and conversations. Parents and often therapists follow the child with playful positive attention while tuning into the child's interests. Dr. Stanley Greenspan and his wife Nancy described this intervention for the first time in their 1989 book, The Essential Partnership. Floortime has since made its way into homes, clinics, schools and hospitals as an effective intervention for various types of learning and developmental challenges. The DIR model is based on the idea that due to individual processing differences children with developmental delays, like ASD, do not master the early developmental milestones that are the foundations of learning. DIR outlines six core developmental stages that children with ASD have often missed or not mastered: Stage One: Regulation and Interest in the World: Being calm and feeling well enough to attend to a caregiver and surroundings. Have shared attention. Stage Two: Engagement and Relating: Interest in another person and in the world, developing a special bond with preferred caregivers. Distinguishing inanimate objects from people. Stage Three: Two way intentional communication: Simple back and forth interactions between child and caregiver. Smiles, tickles, anticipatory play. Stage Four: Continuous Social Problem solving: Using gestures, interaction, babble to indicate needs, wants, pleasure, upset. Get a caregiver to help with a problem. Using pre-language skills to show intention and become a creative and dynamic problem solver. Stage Five: Symbolic Play: Using words, pictures, symbols to communicate an intention, idea. Communicate ideas and thoughts, not just wants and needs. Stage Six: Bridging Ideas: This stage is the foundation of logic, reasoning, emotional thinking and a sense of reality. Most typically developing children have mastered these stages by age 4 years. However, children with ASD struggle with or have missed some of these vital developmental stages. When these foundational abilities are strengthened through the child's