The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

• Participants will realize the importance of targeted play to build academic, motor, sensory, and cognitive skills for all ages and developmental levels.
• Participants will experience hands-on activities designed to develop emotional vocabularies, strengthen social skills, enrich academic prowess AND ACTUALLY HAVE FUN!
• Participants will leave with resources and ideas for activities that are interesting and DOABLE with children, teens, and adults.

Play activities are integral to a child’s life. Demonstrating the ability to play is a hallmark of healthy development in many areas – motor, cognitive, and sensory included. As a child grows and develops, play becomes more complex and social. We know that playing stimulates educational development in areas of science, math, and literacy skills. Play is how children learn to move, work, and sort through information. Building, constructing, drawing, painting, creativity are expressed as children use familiar materials in new and complex ways. It is via activity analysis that occupational therapists look at the performance of play activities to assess critical functional skills used and determine the demands of an activity. Similarly, educators view play as a means for children to explore and learn about the world around them.

Developmental and academic abilities can be assessed and taught as children utilize guided play. We provide limited choices which are pre-determined in order to teach high-level and complex skills. Children are encouraged to make decisions about materials in order to assert ideas, share, and work on solving problems that arise when playing. Teachers and therapists are trained to support play by asking targeted questions related to concepts being taught. Specific activities that are designed to support learning in academic areas as well as in social, cognitive, sensory, and motor skills should be added. By maintaining a fun and child-driven environment, children do not realize they are learning skills required for future independence in life. By analyzing tasks and activities after playing, skills for executive function are build and strengthened.

Jennifer Cook O’Toole’s book, The Asperkid’s Game Plan, and Cara Koscinski’s book, The Parent’s Guide to Occupational Therapy for Autism, provide therapists and caregivers targeted plans and activities designed to engage and build extraordinary minds via purposeful play. Through years of experience, both authors have documented those activities which address goals and objectives in the areas of academics and daily living skills. We teach attendees to take advantage of our role in helping build play which supports children’s development while meeting today’s rigorous academic and societal standards.

Participants will enjoy watching and participating in hands-on activities such as ‘Paint Chip Emotions’ designed to focus on psycho-social, motor and processing skills as well as academic enrichment and reinforcement. Another example includes ‘Human Knots and Cake,’ encouraging team-building, sensory and motor skill building and the use of group problem-solving in order to teach communication and perspectives. All disciplines will benefit from the activities and information contained within this presentation as we cite the newest research and information relating to play and autism.