Understanding FEDCs 4–6: Building Problem-Solving and Emotional Thinking
In our last post, we explored the first three FEDCs in DIR/Floortime — regulation, engagement, and two-way communication. These steps form the foundation for learning and connection. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 here.
Today, we’ll look at the next set of developmental capacities: FEDCs 4, 5, and 6. These steps move children from basic back-and-forth exchanges into problem-solving, symbolic play, and early logical thinking.
FEDC 4: Shared Social Problem-Solving
This stage is about working together to solve small challenges. The child starts to recognize that interacting with another person can help them achieve their goal.
What it looks like:
Child points or gestures to ask for help.
They tug at your hand to bring you over.
They show persistence — repeating actions until you respond.
They smile or celebrate when the problem is solved together.
How to support at home:
Create little playful obstacles (e.g., put a toy in a box they can’t open).
Wait and see how they communicate before you jump in.
Respond warmly and with shared excitement when the problem is solved.
👉 This step builds the foundation for teamwork, flexibility, and persistence.
FEDC 5: Using Ideas
Here, children begin to move from actions to ideas. They start to use symbols — words, pretend play, imagination — to represent their thoughts and feelings.
What it looks like:
Pretending to feed a doll or make animal sounds.
Using words to share ideas (“Let’s make a tower!”).
Drawing simple pictures to represent objects.
Acting out daily routines in play (cooking, driving, cleaning).
How to support at home:
Join your child’s pretend play and add one idea (if they’re feeding a doll, you bring a “blanket”).
Encourage storytelling with toys.
Provide open-ended props — blocks, boxes, play food — that spark imagination.
👉 Symbolic play lays the groundwork for language, literacy, and emotional expression.
FEDC 6: Logical Thinking
This stage is where children begin linking ideas together and using early reasoning. They start to see cause-and-effect and understand simple logic.
What it looks like:
Explaining their play: “The car crashed because it was too fast.”
Sorting objects by color, size, or shape.
Linking pretend play ideas into a story (doll eats, then sleeps, then goes to school).
Starting to understand rules in games.
How to support at home:
Ask gentle “why” or “what happens next?” questions.
Provide puzzles, building sets, and games with simple rules.
Encourage storytelling — “Then what happened?”
Celebrate their explanations, even if not fully accurate.
👉 Logical thinking helps children move from simple play into planning, problem-solving, and early academic learning.
Putting It Together
FEDCs 4–6 take children beyond basic communication into richer interactions, pretend play, and logical connections. These stages are where play really starts to blossom into learning.
Together, FEDCs 1–6 cover the early foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Each step builds on the one before, reminding us that development is a process, not a race.
What’s Next
In our next post, we’ll look at the higher FEDCs (7–9) — where children expand into flexible thinking, emotional themes in play, and reflective capacity. Stay tuned for “Understanding Higher FEDCs: Expanding Abstract and Reflective Thinking.”
And if you haven’t yet, you can go back to the overview of DIR/Floortime for the big picture.
The Big Picture
DIR/Floortime helps us see how children grow step by step — from calm regulation, to joyful connection, to complex thinking. By meeting children where they are and supporting each capacity, we help them build confidence and skills that last a lifetime.
If you’d like support understanding where your child is in their developmental capacities — and how to support them at home — I’d be happy to talk with you.