Dr. Robert Jason Grant created AutPlay® Therapy, which combines aspects of play therapy and behavioral therapy to help children and adolescents gain needed skills. This modality is appropriate for working with children with a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders and is not limited to children diagnosed with Autism or ADHD. Many nervous system, sensory, dysregulation, and metabolic neurodevelopmental disorders exist. AutPlay Therapy is appropriate for working with children ages 3-18 and their families who are affected by:
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Fragile X Syndrome
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Sensory Processing Challenges
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Intellectual Developmental Disorder
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Cerebral Palsy
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Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder
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Tourette Syndrome
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Learning Disorders
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Social Disorders
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Impulsive Disorders
AutPlay® Therapy is designed to use specific interventions to help address skill deficits in the following six target areas:
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Emotional Regulation Ability
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Social Skills Development
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Connection
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Sensory Processing Challenges
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Anxiety
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Behavioral Challenges
AutPlay® Therapy has shown to be effective treatment for the following:
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Increasing Emotional Regulation Ability
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Improving Social Skills and Functioning
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Improving Relationship Development and Connection
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Reducing Anxiety Levels
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Improving Sensory Processing Challenges
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Increasing Concentration, Focus, and Attention
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Reducing Unwanted Behaviors
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Improving the Parent/Child Relationship
AutPlay® Therapy supports the family system through play, a child’s natural language, which enables the parent to become agents of change with the therapist; the parents are provided the opportunity to build a positive connection between parent and child. AutPlay® Therapy includes parent training, which teaches parents how to incorporate the structured play therapy interventions at home. The therapist continues to meet with and train the parents in implementing the interventions at home until treatment goals have been met. Parent training sessions may include some behavior modification approaches to try at home, such as the implementation of a weekly visual schedule for the child, developing routine and consistency, establishing appropriate consequences, and how to implement consequences and reward systems.
Any child who is struggling with developing positive peer relationships could benefit from the directives in AutPlay® Therapy for gaining needed social skills and reducing unwanted behaviors.
AutPlay® and play therapy help families to meet their need of providing effective skill building and parent education to have a more healthy and happy home. We don’t want our children to struggle in this world anymore then they have to. Seeking out mental health treatment and knowing what you are really getting into is extremely important to parents. Looking for properly trained and licensed child mental health specialists who have the skills, training, and supervision to meet your child's needs is necessary. This is why the owner of Olympia Therapy brought out Dr. Grant to train nine of our eleven clinicians in AutPlay® Therapy so that we could have Certified Autplay Therapists in our area.
Adapted from AutPlayTherapy.com
“When children can learn to self regulate, possess social skills that relate to the environments they are asked to function in, and learn appropriate and meaningful relationship connection, they are less likely to have behavioral issues and more likely to function in their day-to-day environment successfully.”
- Dr. Robert Jason Grant
Certified AutPlay® Providers at Olympia Therapy:
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Cary Hamilton, MA.MFT, LMHC-S, CMHS, RPT-S™
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Dawn Toney, MA, LMHC, CMHS, DMHS
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Katrina Swenson, MA, LMHC, CHMS, DMHS
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Brynn Fitzer, MA, LMHC, RPT™
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Janny Ho, MA, LMHC, RPT™
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Will Herland, MA, LMHCA
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Joanna Broussard, MS, LMFT
