A Message from Dr. Rick:
Welcome to The PLAY Project Newsletter!
To celebrate April as Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, The PLAY Project is rolling out a new podcast series called Autism: 10 Lessons for the Course of Life. Just as I was sitting down to to write this introduction, I received an email from the mother of a patient of mine that serendipitously describes the course of life, for her son Kai. I’d like to share the letter with you:
Dear Dr. Solomon,
I wanted to reach out and offer a heartfelt thank you for all that we learned from you. I don’t know what our journey would’ve looked like without the education, training, knowledge, coaching and support our family received from you and Laurie, our PLAY Project Consultant. I’m not sure Kai’s creativity, imagination, self-advocacy, communication, and joyful personality would be the same had we done the recommended interventions made during our official autism evaluation at [an autism center].
As Kai got older, it gave me comfort to know when things went a little off course (or a lot), I had somewhere to turn for perspective, advice, and straight talk. It also gave me confidence and the ability to advocate for Kai, to say no to many strategies that weren’t right for him...to trust my intuition.
Kai will be 13 in August. I’m so proud of him. I wanted to share this video the social worker at school asked us to make for Autism Awareness month, as well as the comic book he created.
With sincere appreciation,
Melissa
I have said it before, I’ll say it again – I truly believe playful advocacy is the best intervention.
Yes, during my time practicing as a developmental and behavioral pediatrician for over 25 years and ongoing through The PLAY Project, I have encouraged families to provide intensive, playful, early intervention. Yes, I am a cheerleader for fun interaction, imagination, and emotional thinking as the keys to any child’s potential. Not all children will become as articulate as Kai. But not all children will make as much visible progress.
"Autism acceptance and awareness" is not about becoming more neurotypical. What will always matter the most to me is for parents to accept their child exactly where they are at developmentally, have joyful meaningful connections with their child, and promote the child’s potential whatever that may be. I believe deeply, that the key to any child’s potential is through play!
Play on!
Dr. Rick
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Autism: 10 Lessons for the Course of Life Podcast. In this 10 podcast series, Dr. Rick shares the most important and practical life lessons he has learned over his long career from his families who have a child with autism. Through intimate, honest, and touching interviews, he asks his families to share their joys, sorrows, and wisdom along the path to helping their autistic children reach for their potential and live a meaningful life as they age toward adulthood. First episode now available through the PLAY Project website, Spotify, iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Check out this article on the first episode here!
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Welcome to The PLAY Project new and updated course available now! Our beloved introductory course got a makeover! Same wonderful course, same great content but with a few improvements! Check out the new, improved version.
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Dr. Rick’s article Born to PLAY: 5 Practical Lessons from Play Science About Autism and Human Development is appearing in the APR 2024 issue of AUTISM ADVOCATE Parenting magazine, available to anyone who subscribes to the magazine in the month of April.
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AutismWish is hosting the Wonderfold Wagon fundraiser to promote autism acceptance and inclusion, with proceeds benefiting our charitable work, including their monthly $100 sensory grant program at AutismWish. Help them reach their goal to raise $2000 towards their programs while also offering donors the opportunity to win a Wonderfold Wagon Luxe VW4.
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Join us for our biennial autism conference - a wonderful learning opportunity for both professionals and parents!
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For PLAY Project Consultants and Supervisors ONLY - Join us at our biennial PLAY Project Reunion Retreat
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The PLAY Project Featured in Smart Start's Smart Solutions Catalog
The PLAY Project is proud to announce the inclusion of The PLAY Project Model of Autism Early Intervention in Smart Solutions: Effective Prenatal-to-Five Investments.
Developed by the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the Smart Start Network, Smart Solutions is a virtual catalog of over seventy evidence-based and evidence-informed programs, interventions, and strategies designed to support children aged 0-5, as well as teachers, caregivers, and communities across North Carolina.
Smart Start, a network of 75 Local Partnerships serving all counties in the state, leverages state and private funds to foster better outcomes for children, teachers, families, and communities. Smart Solutions is a catalog of all the options the Network uses to create these better outcomes using state funding. Partnerships fund and coordinate county solutions based off Smart Solutions to ensure effective early childhood system-building work, advance child health, support families, expand literacy, and establish high-quality early learning opportunities.
Through funding from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation, NCPC expanded Smart Solutions. After a rigorous review process, The PLAY Project was determined to be a high-quality solution to support for early intervention throughout North Carolina.
“Over 100 solutions were reviewed by our evaluation staff to ensure that evidence-based or evidence-informed programs, strategies, and solutions are shared with Partnerships,” stated Casey Strange, Learning & Evaluation Director at NCPC. “Selected solutions either have research and evidence showing their effectiveness in supporting children and families or are trusted solutions that have been endorsed by North Carolina state agencies.”
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June 5th - 26th: Intensive Workshop Online (PLAY IWO) - registration coming soon!
$395 | $195 for Families
Student rates and group rates available!
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The PLAY Project Advanced Course (PAC)
PAC is a 5 hour, online, asynchronous course that teaches an in-depth and detailed way for participants to become more skilled in profiling the autistic child’s development using the PLAY approach and the 7 Circles of PLAY framework. Participants will learn how to create a ‘formal’ PLAY Plan (the kind used by PLAY Consultants for families), accurately use the PLAY Project Profile Rating Scale and follow the PLAY Fidelity Manual. This course is the next step in full training toward becoming a PLAY Project Consultant.
Stay Tuned for more information!
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We train professionals to coach parents to help their young children with autism reach their full potential through play, and we help parents learn the basics of PLAY through our workshops.
PLAY continues to train professionals and parents from across the globe — participants from the U.S, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Guam, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Netherlands, Qatar, Switzerland and Turkey participated in our PLAY Workshops this winter and spring.
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PLAY Presentation to Chinese Professionals
On April 2nd, Dr. Solomon presented an overview of The PLAY Project research and model to an audience of 2300 Chinese Professionals
PLAY in Russia
Dr. Rick is to present at the Russian DIR Conference this April Floortime without Borders
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Wonderful Resources for Parents!
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- Also available as an eBook! $10 USD
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These courses, centered around a PLAY Project framework, provide parents and other caregivers with practical help for building a joyful, meaningful relationship with the children with autism in their life.
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We highly recommend that you contact a PLAY Project Consultant providing TelePLAY services to complete your starter kit! TelePLAY is the innovative ONLINE application of The PLAY Project’s autism intensive intervention program for young children with autism and their families. Get PLAY’s evidence-based services provided by expert PLAY Project Consultants without leaving home!
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PLAY Project and Teaching PLAY Certification Training fully prepares professionals in community organizations to deliver evidence-based, intensive early intervention to families of young children with autism. Our manualized, practical approach to parent-implemented intervention has helped hundreds of professionals to provide needed services to parents and children in their communities.
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*discounted rates for groups and licensed PLAY Project Organizations
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