Understanding Higher FEDCs: Expanding Abstract and Reflective Thinking
So far, we’ve looked at the first six Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs) in DIR/Floortime — from regulation and engagement, all the way to logical thinking. If you missed those earlier posts, you can start with Part 1: FEDCs 1–3 and Part 2: FEDCs 4–6.
In this post, we’ll explore the higher FEDCs (7–9). These stages build on everything before them and take children into flexible, abstract, and reflective thinking. While they often emerge in the preschool years and beyond, they’re important to understand because they guide how children make sense of emotions, relationships, and ideas.
FEDC 7: Multiple Perspectives Thinking
At this stage, children can shift perspectives, change roles, and see that there’s more than one way to solve a problem.
What it looks like:
Taking on different roles in pretend play (“Now I’m the doctor, now you be the patient”).
Adjusting when rules or routines shift.
Understanding that the same object can be used in many ways (a block can be food, a car, or a phone).
Moving more easily between emotions (upset → calm → playful).
How to support at home:
Join your child’s pretend play and introduce new roles or scenarios.
Encourage “what else could it be?” thinking with toys and objects.
Play games that change rules or add surprises.
👉 Flexible thinking helps children adapt in school, relationships, and life.
FEDC 8: Grey Area Thinking
At this stage, children begin to understand that life isn’t all-or-nothing. They can see the “in-between” - not just good or bad, happy or sad, right or wrong. This is called gray area thinking.
What it looks like:
Saying things like, “I liked the slide, but it was a little scary.”
Recognizing that people can feel two things at once.
Moving away from rigid rules (“It doesn’t always have to be my way”).
Beginning to handle disappointment with more flexibility.
How to support at home:
Model nuance in your own language: “That movie was funny, but also a little too long.”
Acknowledge mixed emotions when they happen: “You’re excited about the party, and also nervous about new people.”
Offer choices with no single “right” answer, so your child practices tolerating uncertainty.
👉 Gray area thinking is key for emotional maturity. It helps children accept that situations are complex — and that they can handle feelings that aren’t all one thing.
FEDC 9: Reflective Thinking
This stage is about reflecting on one’s own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Children begin to look inward and think about how emotions, ideas, and actions connect.
What it looks like:
Talking about past events and how they felt (“I was scared at the doctor, but then I was okay”).
Anticipating future events (“I’ll feel happy when Grandma visits”).
Recognizing that people can feel two things at once (“I’m excited and nervous about school”).
Asking deeper “why” questions about themselves and others.
How to support at home:
Have short, gentle conversations about past and future experiences.
Encourage journaling, drawing, or storytelling as ways to reflect.
Validate mixed emotions (“It makes sense to feel both happy and nervous”).
Share your own reflections out loud (“I felt tired this morning, but talking with you made me smile”).
👉 Reflective thinking helps children understand themselves and build stronger, more thoughtful relationships.
Putting It Together
FEDCs 7–9 show how far development can stretch once the foundation is strong. They move children beyond simple play and problem-solving into flexible, emotional, and reflective thinking. These stages build empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate complex social worlds.
Wrapping Up the Series
We’ve now covered the full arc of the first nine FEDCs:
1–3: Regulation, engagement, and two-way communication.
4–6: Problem-solving, ideas, and logical thinking.
7–9: Flexible, emotional, and reflective thinking.
DIR/Floortime gives us a roadmap — not to rush children, but to understand where they are and how to support the next step.
If you’d like to explore how these capacities show up in your child and what you can do at home, I’d be happy to talk with you.