By: Sheryl Rosin Ph.D.,CCC-SLP; P.L.A.Y. Project Home Consultant Nova Southeastern University Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 33314 Approximately 25% of children with ASD are nonverbal. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) supports provide the child with a way to express his or her wants and needs, engage socially, and communicate more effectively. The use of AAC during P.L.A.Y....
By: Colleen Zunk, P.L.A.Y. Project Home Consultant & Supervisor [Below are some guidelines for using electronic devices in play, put together by one of our supervisors. We hope you find them helpful!] Comfort Zone Definition When the child ‘tunes you out’ and appears to be in his ‘own world.’ When a child’s comfort zone is...
Blog post author: Onna Solomon, MSW Giggle Time: Establishing the Social Connection by Susan Aud Sonders Giggle Time is not a new book (my copy is from 2003), but as a P.L.A.Y. Project Home Consultant, I continue to find it to be a wonderful source of ideas for play activities. As the publisher states: “It...
By: Ashley Case, OT, Robin Vettraino, OT In honor of PLAY and finding fun things to do regardless of where you are or what you have access to, we have created a list of ideas that kids and adults can enjoy together. The items you’ll see listed below are not traditional toys, and at first...
In this video, “The Science of Early Childhood Development,” Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D. of Harvard University discusses the science behind early intervention and the significant influence it has on the social and emotional development of children. Below are some quotes taken from the video that speak to this point. “Healthy development of young children in...
We are so grateful for the opportunity to share what this family has to say about their experience with The P.L.A.Y. Project: How old is your child? Would you mind sharing your child’s story? My son Preston is 4 1/2. We first got involved in The P.L.A.Y. Project a year ago after he was evaluated...
1. It’s empowering! P.L.A.Y. Project 4-day trainings empower professionals to confidently use play as their primary way of interacting with young children with ASD. Through the training and supervision process, professionals learn how to effectively engage children while honoring the child’s intentions and needs. This approach also allows professionals to address a child’s social and...
Although it is nearly impossible to create a comprehensive list of rules that parents can live by while trying to navigate through the world of special needs, there are some tried and true strategies that can have a big impact on both parents and their child. In the below article, Sarita Freedman, PhD outlines 10...
We are continuously updating our map to reflect all new and updated P.L.A.Y. Project providers. Remember that you can type your city, state, or country into the search bar to find the provider nearest to you. If there are no P.L.A.Y. Project providers near you, please check the bottom of this page for some suggestions....
By: Ashley Case, OTR/L When I first heard the news that The P.L.A.Y. Project received a request to conduct an Agency Training in Israel, I was thrilled and began daydreaming about my potential involvement. It wasn’t until months later that I learned I would actually be the person conducting the training! My feelings of excitement...
