Familias
I want to thank Daria Brown for inviting me to the podcast “We Chose Play” by Affect Autism and for the opportunity to share my experience.
In the interview, I talk about my work as an occupational therapist in Santander, the DIRFloortime® approach, and Disfrutar el Mar—a socio-sportive activity for children with diverse developmental profiles, which we’ve been developing since 2010.
The project began with a pilot during the summer of 2010, with three children, exploring how the sea and the beach could become a space for play, movement, and connection, from a respectful perspective that supports development. Over time, the project gained structure, and today we run sessions each summer in small groups, with one-on-one support and a clear focus on relationship and emotional safety.
In the episode, we talk about how we prepare the surf and play sessions, how we train the volunteers, how we incorporate the DIRFloortime® model into the activity, and how we adapt each session to the individual needs and characteristics of every child. We aim to create a space where each child can explore at their own pace, in connection with their body, the environment, and others.
It was a pleasure to share a bit about Disfrutar el Mar through the lens of DIRFloortime®.