Editor’s Note

Dear readers!

This is special issue of the Journal “Autism and Developmental Disorders” (Russia), published following the International Scientific-Practical Conference “Innovations in Autism Interventions: Research and Practice of DIRFloortime®”, held in Moscow on April 22—24, 2019, by the Federal Resource Center for Comprehensive Support to Children with ASD of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL, USA) with support of the Foundation of regional social programs “Our Future”. The DIRFloortime® approach is one of the most widely used practice in the world.This approach implemented by professionals in interventions for children with ASD in more than 60 countries around the world, including Russia. The approach integrated in the system of care for children with ASD in many USA states, Israel and other countries. Its scientific evidence base is intensively developing, and the results of studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The DIRFloortime® approach has a stable methodological basis supported by current knowledge of the brain function in healthy individuals and in those with autism. Conceptually, it is in many ways similar to the national scientific school of developmental psychology based on the postulate of the child’s emotional relationship with significant adults as the basis for development. Methodologically, DIRFloortime® is close to Russian intervention methods for ASD: the emotional semantic approach developed by O.S. Nikolskaya, E.R. Baenskaya, M.M. Libling (Institute of Special Education of the Russian Academy of Education); the environmental approach developed by D.V. Yermolaev, I.Yu. Zakharova (Regional Charitable Nongovernmental Organization Center for Curative Education). DIRFloortime® is included in the list of the main methodological approaches in the approximate adapted basic preschool educational program for children with ASD, recommended for children with ASD of early and preschool age. Currently, the approach used in practice by the professionals of pilot bases during the implementation of the federal project of approbation of present program. The Federal Resource Center expresses gratitude to the co-organizers of the conference — the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL, USA) and personally Jeffrey Guenzel, ICDL CEO, as well as the conference partner — The Foundation of regional social programs “Our Future”. The journal editorial expresses gratitude to the personnel of the research laboratory of the Federal Resource Center, as well as to Galina Itskovich and T.V. Akhutina for the help in preparing this special issue. We hope that the materials of present issue will be interesting for researchers, practitioners and parents raising children with ASD and useful in their professional activities and daily life.

A.V. Khaustov