play therapy for 3 year old possible asd

[humphrg2]

My 3 year old ds is.very socially awkward. He doesn't really know how to play with other children without some guidance from adults. He wants to play., but a lot of the time he stands on the sidelines looking at the other children. Another thing is he is really nervous If we are somewhere and we go out of his line of vision. A play therapist wad recommend to me to help him. Has anyone any experience with this? Did it help?

[claw12]

I've never heard of play therapy just to get a young child to join in more. At 3, just watching or playing alongside rather than with other children is quite 'normal'.

Play therapy is psychotherapy, usually for children suffering complex or severe behaviour difficulties.

It was useful for Ds as it gave the therapist a good idea of what was causing ds's behaviour.

[sh77]

My son has Asperger's. His social skills were pretty poor at 3. He has improved massively since starting Reception. He was massively clingy but things are starting to improve. I'm not sure play therapy will be useful if he's just not ready to play cooperatively. He's still so young. I'd expose him to different social situations but let his personality develop.

[pandyandy2]

Hello.

My son is now 3 and a half years but at 2 years 10 months he started receiving a type of 'Play Therapy' once a week for about 8 weeks, and it was fantastic!!!

Basically my son is now currently on the waiting list for ASD assessment, however at 2 years 10 months he was simply considered 'Speech & Language Delayed/Disorderd' and through our local Speech and Language Unit, (as he wasn't ready for any 'specific' 'SALT therapy',) he began receiving a type of basic 'Playing Therapy', which began teaching him basic 'Listening' and 'Turn Taking' skills, which I then echoed at home!

The therapy was as simple as a lovely lady calling to our house once a week and for example bringing a mini wooden car ramp, (to take it in turns with my son to send the cars down the ramp,) and a load of plastic coloured keys, (to take it in turns to put on a giant key ring!) All 'massively simple', but 'structured', (with a huge focus on specific language, ie 'put on the 'big, blue key!',) and working with an adult that wasn't 'Mum'...INVALUBLE!