Therapy That Focuses on Connection
Development:
Growing Together Through Continuous Learning
Development is our relentless pursuit of growth, where curiosity fuels us and transforms both practitioner and practice.
Monday In-Services
Every Monday, our entire team comes together for professional development that goes beyond continuing education requirements. We dive deep into case studies, explore new research, challenge our assumptions, and learn from each other's insights.
DIR Excellence Through Accreditation
Our commitment to development extends to our rigorous DIR training and accreditation. Our therapists receive ongoing supervision from DIR Expert Training Leaders through our mentorship program, ensuring that every session meets the highest standards of fidelity to the DIR model.
Reflective Supervision
Through our DIR Expert Training Leaders and Mentorship Program, our therapists engage in reflective supervision that helps them develop deeper self-awareness, clinical reasoning, and relationship skills. Our investment in this level of supervision directly benefits every family we serve, creating therapists who are deeply connected to their work.
Core Value 1
Self-Compassion:
The Highest Form of Self-Regulation
Self-compassion is our foundation for sustainable, effective therapy. We recognize that when therapists practice mindful awareness of their own emotional states and respond to challenges with kindness, they model the emotional regulation we want to see in the children and families we serve.
Core Value 2
Shared Joy:
The Secret Ingredient in Effective Therapy
At KC:DT, shared joy isn't just a nice side effect—it's an essential ingredient in effective therapy. When a child experiences genuine joy in connection with another person, powerful developmental pathways become accessible in ways that compliance-based approaches simply cannot achieve.
Core Value 2
Why Not ABA?
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Why Not ABA? -
While ABA focuses on changing observable behaviors to make children comply with social norms, DIR values individual differences and seeks to help every person achieve their fullest potential without the goal of normalization.
We seek to understand, accept, and appreciate every person for who they are in their own unique way of being. Our goals focus on overall improvement in development and quality of life.
Beyond "Play-Based" and "Child-Led"
Many therapies claim to be "play-based" or "child-led," but few understand what this truly means. Authentic Floortime is about entering a child’s emotional world, building genuine connection, and using that relationship as the foundation for all development. We work to develop the capacity for engaging, relating, and communicating from the "bottom up," building core foundations through social emotional engagement.
The DIR Difference
While other approaches may focus on discrete skills or behavioral modification, DIR recognizes that meaningful development happens through relationship and must honor each child's unique way of processing and experiencing the world.
What Makes DIR Different:
Developmental Focus: We meet children where they are developmentally, not where a chart says they should be
Individual Differences: We celebrate neurodiversity and build on each child's unique strengths and processing patterns
Relationship-Based: We understand that all meaningful learning happens in the context of warm, trusting relationships
The Evidence Behind Our Approach
Research consistently shows that relationship-based interventions like DIR/Floortime are more cost-effective and show better generalization than behavioral approaches. When we build core capacities for relating, communicating, and thinking through authentic engagement, children naturally develop skills that transfer to all areas of their lives.
What Families Say
"Ethan genuinely looks forward to therapy days. He literally runs into the building shouting his therapist's name. The sessions feel like play to him, but we can see the intentional developmental support happening within those joyful interactions."
—Sarah, mother of 3-year-old Ethan
"At KC:DT, they never try to extinguish my child's autism. Instead, they help him and us find ways to build on his strengths while supporting areas that are challenging."
—Li, father and university researcher
"We were afraid we'd be made to feel like we were doing everything wrong. Instead, we're treated as essential partners in our child's development. They've helped us understand his cues and find more ways to connect with him throughout our daily routines."
—Parent testimonial
