How Play Therapy Can Benefit Children with Autism
Play therapy is a type of therapeutic intervention used to help children process their emotions and develop social and emotional skills. It is particularly beneficial for children with autism, as it offers an engaging way for them to explore their feelings, practice their social skills, and learn new ways to interact with their environment.
Children with autism can struggle to develop social and emotional skills, but play therapy provides an opportunity for them to learn in a safe, non-threatening environment. However, how exactly does play therapy benefit children with autism? What does it involve?
Improving Social and Emotional Skills
When children with autism engage in play therapy, they are exposed to a range of social and emotional situations. This can help them to better understand these concepts. For example, the therapist might use figurines or other toys to model different social situations, such as how to ask for help or express feelings. The therapist will then discuss the situation with the child and provide guidance on how they can respond in a similar situation.
The therapist will also use toys such as dolls or puppets to help the child explore their emotions. This can help them to recognize and understand the feelings of others, as well as express their own. It can also help the child learn different ways they can express their emotions and cope with difficult situations. This can be situations such as introducing themselves to someone new, asking for help or having a disagreement with someone.
Through this role play, children with autism can begin to learn how to socialize, express and manage emotions. They can start to improve their communication skills and become more confident in their interactions with others.
Expanding Play with Toys
Play therapy also helps to expand the ways children with autism play with toys. Many children on the spectrum can become stuck in restrictive ‘rituals’ with their toys, and play therapy can help to break this cycle. Such as lining toys up or sorting them by color. The therapist can introduce different activities to show the child new ways to play with toys, such as building something or role-playing. This can help the child to learn new ways to interact with their environment, as well as language and communication skills.
For instance, the play therapist might bring out a range of different toys and encourage the child to explore and play in different ways. They might even talk through the games they are playing or discuss the stories they are creating with their toys. This can help the child to start thinking in new ways and come up with creative solutions to their problems. The child might even receive tasks to complete or challenges within the play so they can further develop their problem-solving skills.
Enhancing Communication and Problem-Solving
Play therapy can also be used to help children with autism expand their communication and problem-solving skills. This can include introducing new vocabulary or helping the child understand how to interact with others in a conversation. In play therapy, children will be learning how to name their emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This can help them to better understand the situations they may face and how to respond appropriately.
The therapist can also help the child to practice their new communication skills in a safe and controlled environment. This can include teaching them how to ask questions, listen to others, and share their own thoughts. Through this practice, the child can learn how to better express themselves in different situations.
For problem-solving, the therapist can set up different scenarios that the child must figure out or help them to come up with creative solutions. This can help them develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The therapist can also provide support and guidance throughout the process so the child can learn how to think through different solutions. The play therapist may have the child act through a scenario with dolls then have the child explain what they did and why.
Afterward, the therapist can discuss with the child different alternatives or solutions they could have used. In this way, the child can learn how to approach problems in new and creative ways. This way, the child can become better at identifying and understanding the emotions of others and how to respond in an appropriate way.
Improving Pretend Play
Pretend play is a known indicator of cognitive development, and it can be a challenge for children with autism to engage in. Play therapy helps children learn how to express themselves through pretend play and teaches them how to regulate their emotions. The therapist can introduce different activities or scenarios for the child to act out, such as playing with a tea set, dolls, or action figures.
Through pretend play, children can learn how to focus on a toy and a person at the same time and improve the quality of their play. It also helps them to learn how to take turns and engage in reciprocal play. Reciprocal play can be challenging for many children with autism, so the therapist can model how to take turns or how to react if something doesn’t go as planned.
In therapy, the therapist might bring out two dolls and start a conversation between them. The child can then join in on the conversation or role-play with the dolls. The therapist might also bring out emotions, situations, and words to help the child understand how to react in those kinds of scenarios.
For instance, labeling emotions can help the child understand how to respond in a given situation. Such as they're angry when the other doll takes their doll's toy.
In this way, play therapy is an effective way to help children with autism engage in more pretend play and learn how to better express themselves. It can also help them learn how to focus and improve their quality of play as well as enhance their communication and problem-solving skills.
Parental Involvement
Parents can also benefit from their children being in play therapy. The therapist can talk with them and explain what the therapist did in the session as well as how they can observe their children’s play at home. This can help parents learn other ways to interact with their child and model the play behavior outside of therapy.
The therapist can also provide advice and guidance to parents on how to respond in different situations. For instance, if the child is having a difficult time transitioning from one activity to another, the therapist can provide guidance on how to help the child through this transition. Parents can use this therapy as a resource to help them better understand their child’s needs and how to best respond.
Through play therapy, children with autism can learn new skills and become better at problem-solving and communication. Parents can also benefit from the therapy by learning how to observe their child’s play behavior as well as how to best respond in different situations. Play therapy can be a valuable resource for both the child and their parents in helping them better understand one another as well as helping the child learn how to interact effectively with others.
Interested in Play Therapy for Children in San Antonio, TX?
Play therapy has many benefits for children with autism from learning how to interact with others to problem-solving and communication. At Monarch Behavioral Health, we believe in supporting individuals with autism rather than just focusing on the symptoms. Through play therapy, your child will learn how to express themselves and engage in activities with others. Our team of therapists is dedicated to providing the best care for you and your child. If you are seeking understanding and support, you can follow these steps:
Contact our therapy office and learn more about our services
Click here for more information on child therapy.
Begin play therapy and watch the progress your child makes! For more information, contact us or call 210.384.1254.
Other Therapy Services Offered at Monarch Behavioral Health
Our therapists at Monarch Behavioral Health in San Antonio, Texas understand that you and your child may have more they want to work through in addition to play therapy. This is why we offer a variety of services to help those in need. Our therapy services include Anxiety Treatment, Depression Treatment, Trauma Therapy, Autism Therapy, Child Therapy, and more. Our team is dedicated to providing support for any struggle you and your family may be facing. Our therapists also offer therapy for children, teens, and adults of all ages. If you or a member of your family have any questions, feel welcome to reach out to our office.