ICDL was originally incorporated in 1990 as the Foundation for the Prevention and Treatment of Developmental Disorders in Children. In 1997 the name was changed to the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders and in 2004 a slight, but meaningful, alteration to the name was registered as Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning. Most recently in 2022, to reflect the broad international impact the organization is having, ICDL is now doing business as the International Council on Development and Learning.
The organization was originally formed with the following mission: "To engage in, conduct, support and disseminate programs, research, seminars, and publications on the prevention and treatment of emotional and developmental disorders in infancy and childhood." The focus of the organization has grown over the years with the specific focus on training professionals and parents on DIR® emerging as central to much of the work of ICDL. As such, ICDL's current mission statement is "To make a positive impact on people's lives by promoting and championing a relationship-based developmental approach."
Following the name change in 1997, Dr. Serena Wieder partnered with Dr. Greenspan to lead the development of conferences, trainings, and materials to more formally train professionals and parents in DIR and Floortime. Dr. Serena Wieder co-authored many publications with Dr. Greenspan including Engaging Autism and The Child with Special Needs. She played a key role in the development of Floortime and is a valued leader in the field of infant and early childhood development with unique expertise in addressing developmental challenges in children.
In addition to Drs. Greenspan and Wieder, many of the predominate leaders in the field have been a part of ICDL over the years. This includes....