Evidence-based Play Therapy Interventions in Treating Children with Autism Spectrum

This course will teach play therapists about the many faces of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and neurodiversity which may be encountered in clinical practice. With the rate of ASD growing yearly, play therapists serve a critical role in supporting children and families with development of play and social skills using evidence-based, family-sensitive, playful, naturalistic, and developmentally-appropriate interventions. This includes cutting-edge models, such as Naturalistic Developmental Behavior Interventions (NDBI), including Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement & Regulation (JASPER), the application of the Lifter Play Scales using the Pretend Play & Language Assessment & Curriculum (PPLAC), and more traditional play therapy models, such as Theraplay, to work with parent and child.