Aha Connections - Providing DIRFloortime for young children

08/09/2026

There is something so special about receiving an update from a family and hearing about all the ways their child is growing. Hearing that a child is seeking out more connection, enjoying their play, sharing more moments with others, and simply feeling more confident being themselves is such a beautiful reminder of why this work matters.

In Floortime, growth isn’t about rushing toward the next skill. It’s about nurturing the relationships, emotional safety, curiosity, and joyful experiences that allow development to unfold.

And when families take the time to share those moments, they mean more than they know. 💕

A little Floortime inspired thought:
“Sometimes the most meaningful progress isn’t a new skill, it is more joy in the play, more trust in the relationship, and more desire to stay connected.” Aha Connections

08/06/2026

They sure do ❤️

Thanks and credit - Learning and Exploring Through Play ❤️

07/15/2026

Time for more DIRFloortime translations!

What adults sometimes describe as “behavior” may actually be a child communicating an unmet need, an emotion, a sensory difference, or a desire for connection.

When we pause and look beneath what we see, our perspective begins to shift:

“He keeps interrupting” may mean, “I’m excited and want to be part of this.”

“She doesn’t want to try” may mean, “I need more support to feel safe and confident.”

Instead of asking, “How do we stop this behavior?” we can begin by asking, “What might this child be communicating?”

Before changing the behavior, let’s translate the message.

⬇️ Share an example of a behavior you have helped someone understand or “translate” differently. What was the child really communicating?

07/15/2026

🌞 Summer is here and so is playground season!

As children head off to summer camps, playgrounds become some of the richest places for learning, connection, and growth.

For many neurodivergent children, however, joining playground play isn’t always easy. They may want to connect but aren’t quite sure how to enter a game, keep it going, or navigate the fast-paced social world of the playground.

That’s where caring adults make all the difference.

When teachers and camp counselors step into play, not to direct it, but to gently facilitate it, they create opportunities for children to:
☀️Build meaningful friendships
☀️Develop communication and social problem-solving skills
☀️Feel successful and included
☀️Strengthen confidence and self-regulation
☀️Experience the joy of truly belonging

Sometimes the smallest invitation, such as
“Let’s ask if we can join.”
“I wonder what they are building?”
“Can I help you tell your friend your idea?”

can change a child’s entire playground experience.

This summer, let’s move beyond supervising the playground and become part of the play. A few moments of intentional facilitation can create connections that last far beyond recess.

🏷️Tag a teacher, camp counselor, or educator who makes the playground a place where every child belongs.

06/23/2026

Children often replay what they have experienced during play. When a child comes home from school and then “plays school” they are doing so much more than pretending. I was so lucky to be apart of “playing school” yesterday.

During this type of play children can process experiences, practice and experiment with relationships, and make sense of their world.

This is the power of play!!! Play gives us a window into what matters most to them and I am so happy to be apart of this each day.

Sometimes the things children can’t yet say with words, they show us through play.

✨ Share an everyday moment that your child is replaying in their play? ⬇️ ✨

06/09/2026

Love this

A 2024 study found that adults who actively play with children become more empathetic, more engaged, more interactive, more patient, and more collaborative. 💭

Not because someone taught them to be. Because play itself changed them.

Playing with children isn't a 'waste of time' it's how you become a better teacher because play rewires how you show up. ❤️

📖 Fuertes, M., Fernandes, I., Azevedo, A. R., Morais, I., Tadeu, B., & Tempera, T. (2024). What do adults learn through play regarding interactions and communication with children? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 1–14.

06/08/2026

DIRFloortime Translation Services 👩‍💻

Ever wish children came with subtitles? 😊

One of the biggest shifts in DIRFloortime is learning to look beyond a behavior and wonder what a child is trying to communicate.

What looks like “not listening” might be a child feeling overwhelmed. What looks like avoiding an activity might be a child telling us it feels too hard right now. What looks like silliness might actually be a child trying to stay regulated.

Every behavior is communication. Before changing the behavior, let’s take a moment to translate the message.

👇 What is a behavior you have learned to see differently?

05/27/2026

The playground is more than a break in the day it is one of the richest opportunities for connection, regulation, communication, problem-solving, and social-emotional development.

In a DIRFloortime-informed classroom, teachers make the shift from simply watching play to becoming part of it. When adults join children with curiosity, playfulness, affect, and connection, play becomes a powerful pathway for learning and development.

Children do not just need supervision on the playground they need relationships, shared joy, co-regulation, and meaningful interactions.

“When we step into their world with curiosity and connection, we turn everyday play into lifelong learning.”

Tag a teacher who joins in the play 👇

05/23/2026

In June of 2024, I left my full-time position .u.s.e.school with no real plan besides taking some time off. By August 2024, I started supporting a few families a couple of hours a week. By November 2024, I added Saturdays… and somehow now in May of 2026 I found myself working 6 days a week.

The truth is it doesn’t really feel like “work.”
The joy, the laughter, the relationships, the play, and the meaningful moments with children and families are what pulled me back in. I genuinely love what I do.

Today, I say goodbye to Saturday sessions at Preschool Pioneers (although I will still be there some weekdays!). I am so grateful for my Saturday families the connections, trust, and relationships that were built will be part of me forever. Thanks for letting me be part of your family’s journey.

Now it is time to slow down a little and enjoy some summertime fun ☀️

Through a DIRFloortime lens, we know transitions are not only hard for children , they can be hard for adults too.

Relationships matter deeply, and saying goodbye to meaningful connections always carries emotion. But within safe, connected relationships, we also find the confidence to grow, shift, and begin new chapters. 😉

Enjoy the summer!

05/23/2026

When we slow down, simplify our language, and focus on connection instead of control, we create more space for children to process, engage, communicate, and feel understood.

Small language shifts can make a powerful difference:
✨ Use fewer words
✨ Slow your pace
✨ Highlight facial expressions, gestures, and tone
✨ Reduce constant questions
✨ Use declarative language instead of demands

Instead of putting pressure on children to “perform” with communication, we create moments of shared attention, emotional safety, and meaningful interaction.

Children are constantly reading our emotional signals, our warmth, affect, body language, and presence often communicate more than words alone.

Tag a teacher, therapist, or parent who values connection-based communication.