How Does Play Therapy Work in Early Intervention?

A child’s early interaction and experience can impact their overall well-being. Their playtime can have massive imprints on them. With that being said, it is no surprise that play therapy has become an area of focus in early intervention programs like ABA for children with developmental delays. 

Play therapy, slightly different from usual play, is a structured approach focused on learning and communication processes. It uses play as a medium to let children present their emotions and experiences in a supportive and safe environment.

Play therapy can help your child express and regulate their emotions better, boost their confidence and self-esteem, etc. It works on their social skills, cognitive development, and behavioral issues. As a part of early intervention programs like ABA, play therapy has become a crucial tool, and if you are a parent or guardian, it can make you inquisitive. Some of you might also be anxious about its impact on your child’s emotional state or want to know its effectiveness.

Fortunately, you have landed at the right place. Over here, in this post, we will dig deeper and address all your potential concerns. Read it till the end!

Understanding Play Therapy 

Let us begin by understanding play therapy and how it contributes to different areas of a child’s development.  

Play can help children learn about themselves and the world. If your child has developmental delays like autism, play can help uncover their capabilities. It can work on their social relationship and how they express and present their emotions, all while using play as a medium. 

Now, the question is, how can something as simple as play have a notable impact? Play therapy involves a skilled professional who blends art, play, and a customized approach to strengthen coping skills and emotional well-being. A child may not be able to present themselves like an adult. Here,  play therapy connects the therapist with the child's viewpoint. (i)

How does Play Therapy Work?

Play therapy begins with a trained therapist with a license and credentials to practice. A behavior analyst can also provide play therapy. It takes place in a comfortable play setup that lets children present their emotions openly. A child does not have to deal with any limitations unless absolutely required. The environment is strategically designed with all elements in mind to promote emotional expression and present various situations and emotions. 

In play therapy, a therapist can let a child play with toys in whatever way they like. They might also provide a prompt to them. After this, they observe the child’s response to it. This can include emotional expression and the possible meanings their expressions can have. 

After understanding the outcome, the therapist can form an idea of a child’s experiences and behavior and suggest ways to support their needs. 

How Can Play Therapy Support Children with Autism?

Play therapy offers an effective medium for children to communicate their emotions. Autism brings a struggle with self-expression or communication, which can manifest in behaviors. Play therapy also helps therapists gain their trust and contributes to the better development of social and communication skills. (ii) 

• Play therapy can also help autistic children interact with others and develop social skills. This can result in them building a better relationship with their peers and family.

• Coping skills development is another benefit to expect from play therapy. This happens through repetitive role plays in the set environment, allowing them to address social life challenges. They learn about healthy ways to manage their emotions.

• Next comes problem-solving skills, which are developed with play therapy. This happens when they experiment with different skills and learn through real-time challenges.

• Play therapy can contribute to the cognitive development of a child. This happens due to their participation in problem-solving and imaginative play. Therapy can promote creativity and critical thinking, among other skills. It can help them understand different perspectives. It can also let them enhance their hand-eye coordination and manual skills.

• Engaging in play through therapy can help children react to various stimuli in their environment. Stimuli have a notable role in sensory behaviors and experiences in autistic children. Play therapy can help them learn to react to stimuli in their space.

Integrating Play Therapy into ABA Early Intervention Programs

By now, you have learned about the numerous benefits that play-based therapy has on autism. Clearly, it can offer promising outcomes when offered as part of ABA’s early intervention programs. However, since we started this post with the goal of understanding how play therapy can help, let us take more time and dive deeper.

Early intervention can lay the foundation for development in individuals with autism. This aims to provide the child with the early boost they need to develop in different ways. Besides, the period from birth to when the child is at least 3 is crucial in their overall development. That is because, during this period, the child’s brain is highly elastic and can be molded in the right way possible. It can also prepare the child for an academic future, such as school. (iii)

Applied Behavior Analysis programs are proven effective in enhancing adaptive, social, and communication skills. Using play-based strategies can help take advantage of a child’s natural interest in play. As you read earlier, this can help in the development of various skills in the child.

Here are some examples of play therapy incorporated in ABA early intervention programs:

• Imitation games, where children will be made to imitate sounds or actions throughout play. 

• Symbolic play, which will include using objects to present an action.

• Group play, which looks like playing with peers.

• Sensory play where children engaging with various materials and textures. 

• Social stories, including narratives, can help understand social situations. 

What Else Happens in Early Intervention Other Than Play-Based Therapy?

Early intervention can go beyond play-based therapy and cover various services. All aspects of ABA therapy focus on developing communication, social-emotional, and cognitive growth. All the strategies aim to develop targeted teaching of certain skills, address challenging behaviors, and focus on the behavior comprehensively. 

At BehaviorSpan, we offer more than ABA therapy for early intervention. Based in Denver, our ABA therapy center aims to deliver one-to-one care to every child we work with. We follow an intensive approach and have a thoughtfully curated center for that. With play-based early intervention, we aim to help your child thrive with a strong foundation. Reach us today and let us leverage play-based and other approaches for your child tomorrow. 

The Bottom Line

Play is essential in a child’s overall development. It can contribute to their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. Play-based therapy promises these benefits in a structured environment. As a result, children with developmental disabilities like autism can have a strong foundation built in an engaging way. It can help them develop their communication and social skills. Other options are problem-solving abilities and coping mechanisms to respond to certain situations. 

Besides, children’s brains are highly flexible during their early years, making it an ideal time to intervene. Play-based therapy is a promising method to do that. At BehaviorSpan, we offer early intervention for autism with Applied Behavior Analysis in Denver. If you want to know more or take advantage of your child’s early years, reach us today and let us take care of the rest.