Effectiveness of DIR/Floor Time Play Therapy in Social Skills and Emotion Regulation of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families need to use rehabilitation services to improve their functions in social interactions and communication skills. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of DIR/floor time play therapy in the social skills and emotion regulation of children with ASD. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental with a pretest/posttest design. The statistical population included all the autistic children visiting Golhay-e Behesht Autism Center in Qom, Qom Province, Iran. The convenience sampling method was employed to select 30 participants, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received the DIR/floor time play therapy intervention for 23 twenty-minute sessions. The research instrument included Bellini’s Social Skills Profile Questionnaire and Emotion Regulation Checklist. Descriptive statistics and the repeated measures ANOVA were adopted for data analysis in SPSS 22. Results: According to the results, the DIR/floor time play therapy method improved emotion regulation components (i.e., instability/negativity and emotion regulation) and the indices of social skills (i.e., social interaction, social participation, and detrimental behavior). The results lasted until the follow-up step (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The DIR/floor time play therapy method caused positive changes to emotion regulation and social skills in autistic children. Therefore, it can be an effective intervention in children with ASD.