ASHA CEU Course #405 Play Skills in Very Young Children with Autism…The Autism Podcast Series

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com for this podcast, ASHA CEU Course #405 Play Skills in Very Young Children with Autism,  for CE credit for therapists as we examine differences in play skills for very young children with autism or red flags for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Do you recognize these behaviors in the young children you treat?

1. A child’s play skills are extremely delayed, meaning he plays much like a younger baby
would play—mouthing, looking at, dropping, throwing, and holding toys—but not using
familiar toys as they are intended.
2. A child’s interest in toys is restricted. He doesn’t seem to like toys.
3. A child doesn’t pay attention to toys for very long.
4. A child clearly prefers objects to people, but she doesn’t seem to know how to play with
toys.
5. A child plays with toys in unexpected or repetitive ways. For example, he spins wheels
on a train or lines them up, but he does not play with the train in other ways.
6. A toddler is not showing any signs of pretending while playing.
7. There’s been little progress during therapy due to poor attention or interest with toys.

If you answered yes to these questions, a child you’re working with has difficulty with learning to play with toys. Kids who don’t play miss hundreds of opportunities each day to learn language and interact with peers. Research also tells us that toddlers with ASD who have better play skills are much more likely to have better language skills as preschoolers and throughout childhood. When we prioritize play, we begin to see changes in other areas of communication too!

In this course, learn the:

• 7 indicators that differentiate autism from other language delays. (Play is one of them!)
• importance of assessing and treating play skills for toddlers and young preschoolers with ASD or red flags for autism
• differences in play noted in young children with autism
• 7 stages of play for toddlers and preschoolers
• language skills children are learning during each stage
• intervention strategies most effective for each stage
• most important troubleshooting tips for targeting play skills