ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — April is Autism Awareness Month, and recently, the Centers for Disease Control reported autism diagnoses continue to increase in the U.S.
Many experts believe the increase is because of a better understanding and the broadening classification of autism. An early diagnosis can also mean better outcomes, and play therapy can really help with that.
Dominique Mickler, a licensed clinical worker at Ellie Mental Health, tells me how she measures success — it’s when her clients express how they’re feeling.
“You can see that most of my prizes are gone, so that’s good!" she said with a smile. “We have calm, sadness, angry, and confident, and scribble. Scribble is everyone’s favorite. He’s the one with all the colors."
"Is he chaotic?" I asked. "He’s chaotic, he’s confused," she replied with a laugh.
I felt pretty happy and positive as I spoke with Mickler. She helped me better understand exactly how she assists kids with autism in learning and interacting.
“It is extremely fulfilling, it reminds me of why I love my job so much," she said. "A lot of times they’ll come in, especially kids with autism, they’re so used to people not understanding them, so then they’ll come in, they’re really shut off. They’re like I don’t wanna talk. I don’t know this lady, she’s like the same as all the other ones, and so I do my best to make a safe space.”
After that, it’s all fun and games, really! According to Play Therapy International, 71% of children who participate in play therapy show beneficial results.
“Sometimes it can look a little chaotic. But that’s just the process," Mickler said.
Dominique works with kids between 3 and 11, and her approach is catered to the child’s interests. Do they like Harry Potter, drawing, or computer games? Whatever makes them happy! She came up with a clever way to incorporate those interests into games that can be found just about anywhere.
“Basically, whenever I’m looking for games for therapy, I specifically look for games that can teach something specific. Any game that you find, you can find a sort of lesson in it," she said.
Quick Cups can teach frustration tolerance, the Harry Potter matching game and Chess can help increase memory and focus, and Uno can be used for confidence building and self-esteem.
“Shoots and Ladders is really good with choices and consequences, so is Jenga," she said.
Play therapy can help a child communicate and cope with situations in a healthy way. She said often, while playing the game, the child is distracted, so they open up more easily and have a productive conversation.
“It’s just your brain working differently, that’s all. I think a lot of people are becoming a lot more comfortable with [autism] now and looking to get their kids treatment," she said.
She said parents seem relieved once they get their kids help, the sooner the better, too. She tells parents to do their research and not to be afraid to trust their child’s provider because a good provider is there to help. But if you feel a provider isn’t a good fit, shop around. And most importantly, she wants parents to have grace and patience with themselves and their child.
“You’re not failing as a parent, you’re learning," she said. "There was no handbook that came with this. It’s hard.”
To learn more about play therapy, click here!
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