Archive for Autism

Identifying and Expressing Feelings

Posted by Gary Yorke

· August 21, 2018

Therapists and counselors are often concerned about a child’s emotional literacy. Emotionally literate children can manage their feelings and their reactions to those feelings. They can recognize and respond to other people’s feelings, which is a significant advantage in life. Many of our clients are not emotionally literate and our work with those children includes developing and enhancing the child’s ability to identify and express their feelings. Feelings are the most basic building blocks of social skills. Without the ability to recognize feelings in themselves and others, children are not able to master social interactions. Children adept at identifying and expressing their feelings are likely to display increased empathy which is crucial for social competence, social relatedness, and pro-social behavior. Children with deficits in their ability to identify and express their feelings may display excessive anger and frustration, and have more troubled interpersonal relationships with peers, teachers, and family members.

Since the development of The Talking, Feeling, and Doing board game in the 70’s, there have been hundreds of games developed to promote feeling identification and expression. Below is a brief survey of six of the most popular games currently on the market.

Feeling’s Detective is a matching game and is especially helpful with children who have difficulty picking up on social cues. It is suitable for children in grades 1-6. Feelings Detective helps children understand their own feelings as well as the feelings of others. It is especially helpful for children who tend to misread social cues, including those who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or are at any other position on the Autism Spectrum. Specific examples help players link specific situations and thoughts with specific feelings.

The Emotions Mania Thumball is a great ice breaker for children, families, and groups. Thumballs are a soft, stuffed ball that is safe for indoor use. Game play is simple. Simply throw, roll, pass or catch the thumball. Look under your thumb and react to the feeling word found there. Each panel has a different word. The Emotion Mania Thumball includes words such as happy, sad worried, curious, silly, proud and lonely. It is suitable for children, teens, and adults.

Go Fish: Fishing for Feelings teaches the skills needed to successfully deal with feelings, recognize feelings in others, and identify appropriate feelings. Players practice talking about their feelings in a non-threatening way. Players answer open-ended questions before receiving a requested card. Each question prompts a discussion about successfully dealing with feelings, recognizing other people’s feelings, or identifying appropriate feelings. The game plays like classic Go Fish. There are two decks of 50 cards in each game. One for children ages 5 to 8 years old, and the other for children ages 8 to 11 years old.

Emotional Bingo for Children (Spanish & English) is a great game for groups, class rooms, and individual sessions. In this bingo game players identify feelings rather than numbers on their Bingo cards. Emotional Bingo helps children learn to recognize various feelings and make empathetic responses. The game rules provide opportunities for children to discuss their own feelings and to respond with empathy to the feelings of others. The children’s version is suitable for children ages 6-12 and there is a version available for Teens.

The Yes I Can! Talk About Feelings cards are designed to facilitate conversation, insight, expressive skills, and increase an individual’s feeling word vocabulary. It is suitable for families, classrooms, counselors, & therapists and improves feeling identification and the expression of emotions. The Yes I Can Talk About Feelings game is great for enhancing self-awareness and the impact of one’s behavior. The instructions include several fun activities and suggestions for using the cards. This game is suitable for ages 5 and up, 2-6 players.

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Categories : Asperger's, Autism, Behavior, Child Development, Communication, Feelings, Play Therapy, Play Therapy Games

Tags : board games, child development, child therapy, counseling games, feelings, Play Therapy, play therapy gams, therapeutic games for children, therapeutic games for teens, therapy games, thumball

March Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke

· April 2, 2018

· No Comments

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglas

Blog

The internet can be a wonderful source of information and learning for young students, but it can also be a scary place for teens, and a difficult place for parents to monitor. Fortunately, there are tools to help parents and adolescents. In this blog about teen cyber-safety, we outline some on the problem areas on the internet, as well as the tools to educate young teens on the dangers of the internet and how to stay safe. Read more here!

Articles

A new study from the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at McGill University in Montreal, Canada suggests that autistic children benefit from being bilingual. “In the first study of its kind, scientists show that bilingual children with autism spectrum disorders can switch mental gears more easily than those who can only speak one language.” It’s common that autistic children have difficulty transitioning between tasks, and studies shows that being bilingual improves executive functioning. Researchers set out to find if being bilingual could help executive flexibility in children with ASD. Read full article here.

Video gaming among children and adolescents is a much debated topic. Can a person become addicted to gaming? Nancy Petry, a professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and editor of the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors explains gaming disorder, how to identify it, and how to seek help. While gaming disorder effects a very small number of people, gaming as become a very popular pass-time for all ages of players, and it’s important to be aware of potential problems. Read full article here.

Studies have shown that adolescents who perform non-fatal self-harm are 26.7 times more likely to commit suicide within the next year. Though self-harm is not always performed with suicidal intent, the risks of repeat self-harm and possibly eventually suicide are related and high. In this article, Molly Walker of MedPage Today highlights studies and statistics on who is more commonly at risk, and what preventative measures can be taken. Self-harm is never simply a cry for attention and should be taken very seriously. Read full article here.

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Categories : Autism, Behavior, Depression, Executive Functioning, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Wrap Up

Tags : child play therapy toys, child therapy toys, childhood stress, counseling games, family roles, feelings, mental health disorders, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, teens, therapy toys

Using Creepy Dolls in the Playroom by Donna M Hammontree, LCSW, RPT-S

Posted by Gary Yorke

· July 19, 2017

· 1 Comment

Freddie Krueger. Chuckie. Jason.

Parents and children alike ask me, “Why do you have those in here?”

I respond, “Why do you think I have those in here?”

Gary Yorke, PhD, recommended 1 or more of the play therapy dolls as good resources for the playroom. I was skeptical but bought 3. Deciding to assess the use of them for myself, I have determined there are multiple uses for the creepy therapy toys.

To communicate anger

A child may use the doll to let a therapist/school counselor/teacher/parent know he is angry with the adult for any reason by shaking the doll at the adult.

The creepy doll may be thrown across the room or beaten up to express anger at any bad experiences or people.

To communicate that a person has scared the child

A child who has been traumatized may ventilate that fear by using 1 or more of the dolls. Sometimes that fear may come from watching scary movies; in that case, I guide care takers in being more selective in visual experiences.

To express identification with, ventilate about, or gain control over one’s own creepiness

Children on the Autism Spectrum or with physical differences may use the dolls to process how they are treated by peers on the school playground.

To express identification with the oppositional and defiant nature of the dolls

A child who presents with defiance, for whatever reason, may identify with the dolls and act out that oppositional stance.

To gain control of one’s anxieties and unrealistic fears

Some children ask me to hide the dolls as they are afraid of the dolls. I may do so in a very early session but soon have the child take responsibility for the fear and find a way to cope with the creepy dolls themselves. They may hide the dolls, lock them up with my play chain, or throw them away in a pretend garbage can. Sometimes they add guards around the dolls to provide extra security. Or, we may dress up as a superhero and find the dolls together. This frequently leads to better coping at home.

To communicate low self-esteem, worthlessness, guilt

Play using the dolls may involve being bad and in trouble. I work to validate the feelings in the play and then acknowledge the creepy doll’s life experiences, such as mistreated, hurt, surviving difficult times, trying to protect himself.

To express whatever the child needs to vent about

Children will use the dolls or avoid them to communicate thoughts and feelings about situations that I may never fully understand. Being client-centered and open to their experiences is the key.

The professional benefits from an individual and family assessment of the client and knowledge of the child’s experience to fully understand and best respond to the child’s play. On the other hand, being in the moment with the child and aware of the therapists’ own emotional responses to the client is often enough to further assess, validate, encourage an adaptive response by the child.

“Why do you have those in here?”

Therapist’s response, “Please tell me!”

***

Donna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor in private practice, in Savannah, GA. Visit her website: http://www.donnahammontree.com/

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Categories : Anger, Anxiety, Autism, Behavior, Bullying, Child Development, Communication, Feelings

Tags : child play therapy toys, child therapy toys, play therapy dolls, play therapy toys, therapy toys

May Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke

· June 9, 2017

· No Comments

“Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.”

– Roger von Oech (President, Creative Think)

Blog

Thanks to Amy Flaherty for helping us get the sand toys organized. Shelf by shelf she reshaped the room that helps her client’s shape their sandtrays! If you need to organize your playroom and you need ideas for how, this is the post for you! Click here to read more!

Stacy Garcia re-invented the classic board game Sorry! and made it a great fit for her play therapy practice. Stacy believes that any game can be implemented as an effective tool for intervention and to help her clients learn. Read about how she uses Sorry! here.

Articles

The Stellenbosch University of South Africa has done a study that shows that the emotional and behavioral health of teens with PTSD can be dramatically improved with therapy intervention. The treatment consisted of prolonged exposure therapy or supportive counselling in up to 14 sessions of 60 to 90 minutes each. The children who received the individual therapy maintained the benefits of the counseling longer then those who received group therapy session. For more information click here.

A new medication is being tested for autistic children that is thought to be helpful in children up to 14 years old. Tests so far on the drug have an effect that “restarts a more normal pattern of neurological development.” More testing is needed on the drug before it will be approved and available to the public. For more information click here.

While medication can be helpful to children with ADHD, a new study has shown that a more effective treatment may include Neurofeedback (NF), a form of behavioral therapy which aims to build skills in cortical self-regulation, in addition to medication. There are still more studies needed for NF training and its effect on children with ADHD. For more information click here.

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Categories : ADHD, Asperger's, Autism, Behavior, Child Development, Monthly Wrap-Up, Wrap Up

Tags : development, feelings, mental health disorders, Play Therapy, play therapy intervention, therapy intervention, therapy toys

January Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke

· February 2, 2017

· No Comments

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul”

– Friedrich Froebel (founder of the concept of kindergarten)

Blog

Parenting a child with obsessive compulsive disorder can seem like an impossible task at times. Children with OCD can have a difficult time understanding why they have the impulses they experience and how to manage them. For parents, it can be hard to answer their questions and help them navigate the unknown. Natasha Daniels has shared some great tips on parenting children with OCD; how to help them understand the disorder, and actions to help manage it.

Cognitive Restructuring is an effective tool in play therapy. It is a combination of play therapy techniques including games, art, and bibliotherapy, paired with discussions about the child’s feelings throughout the process. Donna Hammontree explains how using cognitive restructuring helps children better understand their own thoughts and feelings, and shows them how those thoughts and feelings effect their actions.

Articles

What is Play Therapy anyway? Play Therapy (PT) is a specialized practice defined by the Association for Play Therapy. This article helps define play therapy practice with information on the who’s, what’s, when’s, where’s, and why’s. “PT uses the child’s natural inclination to learn about themselves, relationships and his or her environment. Through PT, children learn to express feelings, modify their behavior and develop problem-solving, communication and social skills, ” says registered play therapist Adrianne Albarado Ortiz.

Brigham Young University is working to research autism with the goal to better the lives of the families that touched by the disorder. BYU uses a combination of disciplines to research autism from different angles including psychology, physiology and developmental biology, statistics, molecular biology, BYU’s Counseling Center and BYU’s MRI Research Facility. “The work is often painstakingly slow, ” says Cynthia Glad of BYU. “The sessions aren’t always successful, but when they work, the resulting images are very valuable. Findings are presented internationally and at the BYU Autism Translational Research Workshop.”

Counselors of Child Protective Services are undergoing a more rigorous psychological evaluation to ensure that they are fit to work and protect the children in the communities they serve. There is no higher priority than the safety of the children, many of whom have gone through traumatic events leading up to the intervention of CPS in their young lives. “The new testing regimen involves a more rigorous psychological test than that relied on in the past, as well as a face-to-face interview with a forensic psychologist,” says reporter Lauren Novak. “They will set a ‘high bar’ on traits such as empathy, maintaining appropriate boundaries with children, managing anger and stress and a proper understanding of the impact of abuse and neglect. The process also screens for indications of inappropriate sexual proclivities.”

Want your child to fess up? Try not showing anger. Sounds obvious, but it can sometimes prove easier said than done. But a new study shows that children are more likely to confess their misdeeds when they know their parents will show understanding and calm evaluation of the issue, rather than un-managed anger. “Convey that you’re going to listen without getting angry right away,” says researcher Craig Smith. “As a parent, you might not be happy with what your child did, but if you want to keep an open line of communication with your child you can try to show them that you’re happy that your child has told you about it.”

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Categories : Autism, Behavior, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy news, Resources, Social Issues, Wrap Up

Tags : development, feelings, Play Therapy, storytelling

July Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke

· August 2, 2016

· No Comments

I think Michael Altshuler said it best, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

Another month has come and gone and we have much to recap!

Another big ‘Thank You Very Much’ to Brandon R. Menikheim and Clair Mellenthin for their wonderful blog submissions! If you haven’t seen them yet, don’t miss out! Go check them out on the Blog page!

Jillian Roberts, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Victoria, shares her new book and some helpful tips for parents to use when talking to children about difficult topics, i.e. death of family member or violence in the news. Roberts says when she was writing her book she… “thought about all the different children [she] had seen in [her] career who had dealt with the loss of a parent or a sibling or a friend or a pet, even, and thought about the things that [she] said and the questions they asked and what was most helpful.”

Samantha Finch talks about some of the early childhood intervention options for autistic children for parents to look into. “Early intervention programs assist families with children under three years old who have developmental delays or disabilities such as autism. Early intervention starts with an evaluation, which is followed by therapeutic and support services for the autistic child and his/her family.”

Heidi Gazelle, Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, University of Melbourne, talks about overly shy children, when it may be a cause for concern, and why your child may be acting shy/antisocial. She also gives a few tips on how to break your little one out of their shell!

Does your child think rules are meant to be broken? Maybe you aren’t being consistent enough in your discipline methods. “Discipline is an important foundation of every child’s development which could help him or her have a happy and effective life in the future, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. That’s why no matter how hard it is for the parents, if they want their kids to be successful in the future, it is crucial for them to never give up applying this virtue to their kids.” ** please note that spanking is NOT an acceptable discipline method**

Thanks for reading, can’t wait to see what August has in store!

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Categories : Autism, Child Development, History of Play Therapy, Intervention Ideas, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy, Uncategorized, Wrap Up

June Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Gary Yorke

· July 19, 2016

· No Comments

sand

It’s hot outside!

Here are a few hot topics from June as we jump into July!

Dr. Sara Schwartz Gluck is planning an exciting new summer program to exhibit the work they do at the Five Towns Wellness Center in Cedarhurst, New York. The center, which treats up to 200 patients offers treatment for children, adolescents and adults that include an assessment and a plan based on an individual’s needs. For children specifically, play and cognitive behavioral therapy are combined to facilitate the treatment process. “Play is a great way to get kids to feel like they can express what’s going on,” Gluck said.

According to Olga Chaikovsky, PT, MS, parents are fully aware of the milestones their children are expected to meet but less apt to notice deficits in their child’s hand and arm function. Hand and arm function are important to a child’s development, and if it goes unnoticed, may lead to most extreme issues later on. “By enhancing arm and hand function, the interventionist not only improves the dexterity of the child’s upper extremities, but enforces and elicits gross-motor and global child development as well.”

“Mother knows best” may not be the best approach after all! A study by Cecilia Cheung, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, has found that “controlling” parents were more disruptive to children than parents who showed “hand-off” support. “When Chinese and American parents exhibited heightened controlling parenting practices with attempts to intrude on children’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors, their children often developed academic and emotional problems. In contrast, when parents were supportive, but hands-off, children felt encouraged to make their own decisions and flourished.”

Often when faced with the unknown, we seek answers from situations similar to ours. We look to other people who have been in our proverbial shoes. We search for information to fill in blank spaces. But when faced with autism it important to remember that each person is unique and what helps one child isn’t necessarily the right intervention for another. “Ultimately, quality, evidence-based interventions will be most effective for helping their child. Thus, we need to bridge the gap by increasing efforts to make those options more accessible to families of all financial means and geographic locations.”

Fussy eaters! Is there anything in this world more frustrating than slaving over a hot meal that your children refuse to eat?! Well remember to be patient with them, Parents of the World! Dr Lee Hudson, consultant pediatrician, states that fussy eating isn’t just about being stubborn but more hypersensitivity. So how to handle a fussy eater? Make them sit at the table until the plate is empty? Let them go and miss out on nourishment? “Remaining calm is also helpful…I reward clear plates with lots of praise and also take her to the shops and encourage her to choose her food.”

That’s it for June!

Thanks for all the feedback and reader submissions! Check us out of Facebook, Instagram, and don’t forget to stop by our Website for any of your play therapy needs!

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Categories : Autism, Child Development, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy, Uncategorized, Wrap Up

Make Beliefs Printables for use in Play Therapy

Posted by Gary Yorke

· June 12, 2015

· No Comments

Engaging a child doesn’t always come easy, and encouraging them to express deep feelings is even more difficult still. This is the point of creative intervention; something that sparks the imagination, encourages creativity, and allows children to express themselves in a comfortable atmosphere. The hundreds of free printouts at MakeBeliefsComix.com provide excellent templates for doing just that. They can be used not only for educational purposes, but therapeutic ones as well. In fact, they recently added new categories for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Self-Esteem, and Play Therapy. Give these easy-to-use therapy tools a shot, and let us know how it goes in the comments section!

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Categories : Autism, Intervention Ideas, Resources, Self-Esteem

December Play Therapy Wrap-Up

Posted by Jacob Wilburn

· January 1, 2015

· No Comments

Happy New Year everyone! Here are a few things you might have missed this month…

-Parenting a child with autism is a unique and challenging experience. An organization in Norfolk, Canada is helping these parents to feel less alone in their situation.

-Being that all children have their own idiosyncracies and habits–some that last, some that seem to be merely a phase–it can be difficult to be sure whether or not their behavior might suggest an actual disorder like autism. This article provides a very helpful infographic of the signs of autism. The same author posted an article on play therapy tips for children with autism.

-These days, many practitioners are moving play therapy outdoors. More and more playgrounds are being designed with fun and therapeutic purposes in mind. This news story reports on such a playground at a medical center in Pennsylvania.

–This article in the Houston Chronicle outlines the importance of therapy—the gist being that the brain, our most important organ, musn’t be neglected. It also spells out the differences between counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc., which can be confusing to people seeking mental health services.

-In a blog post from the Autism Daily Newscast, a woman tells her story of being diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at the age of thirty-eight. What she had previously believed to be migraines were in fact episodes of sensory overload.

-Here’s a great intervention idea for child and family therapy called “Colored Candy Go Around”, presented by Liana Lowenstein:

-We recently shared the story of this New Mexico State University professor who is using equine therapy, storytelling, and sand play to help veterans deal with trauma. It’s a very moving story so I thought I’d share another article with an accompanying video.

-Perhaps it’s a little off-topic, but since so many of us receive those heavenly scented candles as gifts over the holidays, it might be worth reading this article about the power of aromatherapy!

–Here’s a great article for people who love their sand tray figurines. A woman in the Lansing, Michigan area who has been collecting figurines of strong female characters for several decades, will be auctioning them off as a benefit to The Women’s Center. Wish I could get my hands on some of these cool figurines!

-Two years after the massacre in Newtown, CT, the town’s constituents are still struggling to cope. On the two year anniversary, many articles were published reporting on the problems that persist and the efforts in place to help the town heal. It is a sad subject to revisit, but it’s encouraging to see people helping those in need.

-Isn’t it fun to get a peek into other practitioner’s play therapy rooms?

-It’s very encouraging to know there are organizations like this one that understand the importance of allowing children to express their feelings through play and other activities.

-It can be very difficult for a young child to communicate, or even recognize, the experience of being sexually abused. This article discusses ways to teach awareness and create a safe environment in which a child feels comfortable confiding.

Have a productive and joy-filled January!

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Categories : Autism, Intervention Ideas, Monthly Wrap-Up, Parenting, Play Therapy, Play Therapy news, Uncategorized, Wrap Up

Welcome to the Autism Store!

Posted by Gary Yorke

· March 5, 2014

· No Comments

Play therapy’s greatest virtue is perhaps in its breadth of application. The process of allowing children (and adults!) to express themselves through the language of play can be tremendously useful in a variety of situations. It can be used to teach discipline and good behavior, lift spirits and mend the emotional wounds caused by trauma or grief, and help a patient work through anxiety and depression. Play therapy’s ability to foster expression and improve social and emotional competence is particularly beneficial to children with autism. Many therapists use play-based treatments for Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders and research suggests a high level of success.

Keeping in mind that every specific situation requires it’s own very specific tools, ChildTherapyToys.com has created The Autism Store–a one-stop shop with the most valuable and fun tools available for play therapy with autistic children. The store boasts a huge variety of books and games, sensory toys, creative materials, and more, all designed to help a child connect and engage through the power of play. The products offered have been expertly curated and are available at affordable prices. Stop by and discover what your therapy room might be missing!

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Categories : Autism, Play Therapy, Play Therapy Games, Play Therapy Toys