How can you persuade physicians to use play therapy for patients with autism spectrum disorders?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a brain-based development condition that affects children’s development in two main areas. Minimizing social interaction and abnormal behaviors restricted behaviors and interests are the affected areas. However, language & speech are inherently related to other forms of autism. While the child may be a long way from speaking, it could see red flags early on. In the first three months expect the baby to smile and make eye contact. However, the child who has little to no interaction with environmental changes is the earliest evidence of identifying autism. -Highlight success stories or case studies where play therapy has shown positive outcomes. -Highlight Complementary Benefits for physicians

I'm a parent of an autistic young man. I am not academically trained or have done anything other than read books, and articles online, and gone to support groups and conferences. And that was mostly years ago. This I know: When parents receive a diagnosis for their child, and that diagnosis is autism or pervasive developmental disorder, they look to physicians for sound advice: what do we do now? You have to look at all the factors. Much depends upon the child's particular place on the autism spectrum. As a parent of an autistic child, when I let my son guide me in his play, it helped us bond. If the parents and patient are willing to play, going online and searching "play therapy for autistic children," might be the easiest option.

A physicians role is to identify the difficulty and provide solutions where possible. Through play therapy you will be able to better identify what sort of things interest the child, this can play a part in the diagnostic process, but at the same time you will be able to observe preferences. Through understanding why strong interests occur by identifying preferences you will be better equipped to build strategies that will support the child to develop in a positive way that focuses on their strengths. Interests and preferences can be used to overcome difficulties as it will offer insight as to how the child thinks, learns, senses and processes. Play therapy allows the child to communicate things in a way that is natural and less stressful.

Facts are the best way to persuade physicians. I believe that providing them with actualized research is a good starting point. I would also add that children with ASD represent about 3% of the global population and that chances are they have a few patients in the spectrum. Lastly, I would add that applying this kind of therapy is less invasive for these children and avoids the experience of visiting the doctor becomes traumatic and difficult for everyone involved.

One thing that I feel would be useful in helping physicians gain more information about play therapy, would be to involve seasoned educationists who have worked with children on the ASD spectrum. Teachers are wonderful people, and they're the best example of adaptation. With so many different personalities and needs in one class, they would be able to provide real-life expectations, and useful tips on how to actually engage these children, and more importantly, keep up the relationship to see positive results.

Educating physicians on play therapy for ASD is vital. Studies, like one from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, indicate that play therapy can improve social interaction in up to 70% of children with ASD. Providing physicians with clear, concise information about its mechanisms—how it enhances communication and emotional regulation—is key. This knowledge, backed by research, can empower physicians to incorporate play therapy into treatment plans, potentially leading to significant improvements in patient outcomes.

It's important for physicians to understand the power of play. One of the most helpful things I learned about, when researching early intervention after my son's diagnosis, was figuring out organic and out of the box ways to use play. An activity that my child found fun and engaged in spontaneously - on his terms - was intrinsically motivating. The moments where I met him where he was - when I made sure not to come to the play activity with preconceived notions or expectations - allowed for our most meaningful connections. And these moments of connection became the building blocks not just for our relationship, but for my son's ability to express himself and connect with others, too.

In my experience I found that most physicians are more receptive to information that is brief, concise and contains references to research that supports the point you want to convey, especially as an introduction. Backup information could be reserved for those who are interested in learning more, but in order to speak with someone, first you need to get their attention. Physicians tend to be a group of professionals who are very busy and juggling a lot of tasks on their "professional plates".

As Montessori once said ‘Play is the work of the child,’ it’s their natural language. Whatever the specific needs of each child there will be some form of play that enables them to express themselves and even process events they have experienced in a safe way that is non threatening to them. The play therapist is there to ‘hold space’ and reflect back what they observe but often not to interpret it.

Play therapy has been particularly powerful with clients who have been mute. Play therapy includes the therapeutic use of instruments that can often act as a ‘voice’ for the child and a wonderful way of building confidence and communication skills.

First, many physicians are actually on the ASD spectrum so sometimes we can be emotionally triggered by discussing ASD care because it reminds us of negative experiences in our own live. Then show them the process in action. Watching an actual session will do much more to change minds than all the studies in the world.

Simple accessible models are fundamentally key when dealing with time-poor physicians and parents. This has encouraged me to press into creating the simple three word model that helps to unlock play as a therapeutic tool instead of ‘something children do.’

Talk with decision-makers when they are fresh to the day, not exhausted after a million other decisions, and they've had a snack - we all default to the easy option when our blood sugar is low. Then give them time to consider; we often need time to process suggestions for change.