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The Playful Pathways Project seeks to illuminate how relationship-based therapy changes the developing brain. Using functional MRI (fMRI), this initiative will explore how DIR/Floortime interventions influence neural connectivity, self-regulation, and social-emotional growth in children.

 

Through potential partnerships with leading institutions such as Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR), Vanderbilt University, and/or local imaging centers, this project bridges developmental therapy and neuroscience — combining compassion with data-driven inquiry.

Each fMRI scan costs approximately $3,000–$5,000 per participant. Your sponsorship directly supports a child’s access to cutting-edge imaging and contributes to a groundbreaking body of research that could transform how the world understands emotional development and neuroplasticity.

For decades, DIR/Floortime has helped children with developmental differences build connection, communication, and emotional thinking through play. Clinicians and families have long observed profound behavioral and relational changes — yet the neural underpinnings of these outcomes remain underexplored.

Modern neuroscience shows that play, attachment, and emotional engagement are key drivers of brain organization. By integrating fMRI data before and after a course of DIR/Floortime therapy, The Playful Pathways Project aims to visualize and quantify these shifts — offering empirical support for relationship-based approaches to developmental care.

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Purpose: Investigate neural connectivity changes associated with DIR/Floortime intervention.

 

Design: fMRI scans pre- and post-intervention; behavioral and functional outcomes correlated with observed FEDC (Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities).

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Participants: Children ages 3–10 enrolled in DIR/Floortime-based therapy programs at Child & Family Development.

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Outcomes:

• Increased understanding of neuroplasticity in relationship-based therapy.
   

• Foundation for future multi-site studies and clinical advocacy.
   

• Educational resources for parents and professionals.​

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Funding Goal:

• $3K – $5K per child (scan + analysis)

• Phase 1: 10 participants = $30K – $50K total
   

Your Support Enables:
 

✅ Access to fMRI scans for children in therapy
✅ Publication of real-world brain-based outcomes
✅ Increased awareness of relationship-based approaches

 

Sponsorship Opportunities:

• $3,000 – $5,000: Fund one child’s scans

• $10,000 +: Co-sponsor data analysis or publication

• $15,000 +: Become a Founding Research Partner

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