Marius de Vos

Floortime-specialist

special educationalist

Marius de Vos, himself the parent of a boy with Autism, has a degree in Drama and Literature, as well as a degree in Psychology. He is a qualified teacher, and has completed post-graduate studies in the field of educating children with multiple disabilities. Marius has worked in London as a teacher in a school for children with profound and multiple disabilities.

Next to teaching he also headed the drama classes in the school, in the meantime further specialising himself in the development of early communication skills with children with profound communication difficulties. Marius has produced two arts festivals for children with learning difficulties, and continues to work with individual children in Amsterdam on arts-related projects.

Since moving to the Netherlands Marius has devoted himself to exclusively working with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. He works one-on-one with children in their homes, as well as supporting children in schools. He brings all his extensive experience and training qualifications to bear on his work, which is now shaped primarily by the theory and practice of the DIR method (floortime).

Marius, together with Pim Donkersloot - trains and advises parents in developing floortime techniques and finding more constructive and interactive ways of playing and communicating with their children.

Recently Marius has set up a small school for children with ASD's in Amsterdam. Floortime is both a time-tabled activity as guiding principle for all interaction with students. The school is still small, at this stage very much a work in progress. Emphasis is placed on co-operation and team work: other professionals are constantly being consulted and parents are encouraged to become involved.