The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

Don't forget play – 3 questions can help balance fun with supports and therapy for autistic children

  • Written by David Trembath, Associate Professor, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University
Don't forget play – 3 questions can help balance fun with supports and therapy for autistic children

Navigating a maze of therapies and supports[1] can be difficult for parents of autistic children.

Often, children have multiple learning needs, and attempting to address them one-by-one can take more hours than there are in a week. Attending lots of appointments – while well meaning – may leave little, or no, time for play.

This is why the new National Guideline[2] that outlines how practitioners should work with autistic children and their families is important.

Along with vital information on goal setting, selecting therapies, and measuring outcomes, it seeks a balanced approach that also lets kids be kids.

Read more: New national autism guideline will finally give families a roadmap for therapy decisions[3]

What the guideline says

The guideline says practitioners working with autistic children should “honour their childhood”, which includes their play, relationships with family and peers, and personal discovery.

This recommendation – like all 84 presented in the guideline – is based on the evidence we synthesised from 49 systematic reviews and consultation with over 1,000 autistic children, young people, and adults; their families; practitioners; and other community members.

The guideline also says practitioners should be child- and family-centred, provide only evidence-based supports, and individualise the type and amount of support for each child and family based on their individual strengths, needs, and circumstances.

The power of play

Play is arguably the most effective[4] way children learn and the benefits are far reaching.

Play helps children develop their social, cognitive, and communication skills[5], such as sharing their interests with others, taking other people’s perspectives, and solving problems. Play is fun, sparks and satisfies children’s curiosity, and helps them build positive relationships.

This is not to say that play – in the traditional sense – always comes easy to autistic children. For example, autistic children often show reduced symbolic play[6], such as pretending a doll is picking up a book to read, or that a block moving along a table is a car.

To be diagnosed[7] as autistic, children need to demonstrate restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities, which can all influence the way they play. A child may have a fascination with numbers or letters, line up toys in a certain order, or show a particular interest in just one part of a toy, rather than the whole.

For this reason, working on play skills has been a common goal[8] of therapies and supports.

However, autistic adults are challenging practitioners to think differently and to value each child’s own way of playing. This might include passions and interests that may appear stereotyped or restricted and repetitive to non-autistic people. They argue these interests, movements, and behaviours can help with self-regulation[9] and should be accepted in society, provided they do not cause the individual harm.

Read more: From deficits to a spectrum, thinking around autism has changed. Now there are calls for a 'profound autism' diagnosis[10]

So what can parents do to promote play and find the right balance?

First, the guideline is clear – supports should be individualised. Too little support – or too much – can be equally problematic[11] for children and families.

Second, it doesn’t need to be a case of play versus supports. Naturalistic play-based therapies and supports have been around for a long time, and are supported by research[12]. These include approaches that help parents adapt to their child’s way of playing, making it more fun, rewarding, and engaging for all involved.

Delivering supports in the community can also be effective, such as in playgroups[13] and at libraries[14]. Inclusive sports, such as nippers[15], dance, and AFL[16] can help children participate in activities many children and families take for granted.

It is also important parents step back and reflect on what is, and is not, working well for their child and family.

Is their child receiving supports for childhood, or has it become a childhood of supports?

If the goal has drifted towards accessing as much support as possible, rather than using supports to help the child’s engagement and enjoyment in everyday activities such as play, than a re-think is warranted.

children's hands dig through sand for plastic toys
Play therapy can bring together both worlds. Getty[17]

Read more: Should ADHD be in the NDIS? Yes, but eligibility for disability supports should depend on the person not their diagnosis[18]

What role can clinicians play? 3 questions to ask

The starting point is listening to children and families when setting goals and discussing supports, and ensuring they stay in control of their own decisions. This includes taking the time to talk through all of their options, and to consider how supports will shape a typical week.

Three questions can help guide this:

  • will there be time to play?
  • will there be support for play?
  • can play be the way we provide support?

Practitioners such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and educators should also constantly check the supports they are providing are the most helpful for the child and family. Goals may change and new supports may become more effective.

The ultimate goal

The guideline states:

Autistic children deserve a childhood full of love, family, fun, learning, and personal discovery.

This is the type of childhood all children deserve, and an outcome practitioners should strive for, in recommending and delivering supports to autistic children and their families.

References

  1. ^ therapies and supports (theconversation.com)
  2. ^ National Guideline (www.autismcrc.com.au)
  3. ^ New national autism guideline will finally give families a roadmap for therapy decisions (theconversation.com)
  4. ^ most effective (www.aap.org)
  5. ^ social, cognitive, and communication skills (oro.open.ac.uk)
  6. ^ symbolic play (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  7. ^ diagnosed (www.cdc.gov)
  8. ^ common goal (link.springer.com)
  9. ^ self-regulation (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  10. ^ From deficits to a spectrum, thinking around autism has changed. Now there are calls for a 'profound autism' diagnosis (theconversation.com)
  11. ^ equally problematic (www.thelancet.com)
  12. ^ research (journals.sagepub.com)
  13. ^ playgroups (playgroupaustralia.org.au)
  14. ^ libraries (plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au)
  15. ^ nippers (www.albatrossnippers.com.au)
  16. ^ dance, and AFL (allplay.org.au)
  17. ^ Getty (www.gettyimages.com.au)
  18. ^ Should ADHD be in the NDIS? Yes, but eligibility for disability supports should depend on the person not their diagnosis (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/dont-forget-play-3-questions-can-help-balance-fun-with-supports-and-therapy-for-autistic-children-200920

Times Magazine

Building an AI-First Culture in Your Company

AI isn't just something to think about anymore - it's becoming part of how we live and work, whether we like it or not. At the office, it definitely helps us move faster. But here's the thing: just using tools like ChatGPT or plugging AI into your wo...

Data Management Isn't Just About Tech—Here’s Why It’s a Human Problem Too

Photo by Kevin Kuby Manuel O. Diaz Jr.We live in a world drowning in data. Every click, swipe, medical scan, and financial transaction generates information, so much that managing it all has become one of the biggest challenges of our digital age. Bu...

Headless CMS in Digital Twins and 3D Product Experiences

Image by freepik As the metaverse becomes more advanced and accessible, it's clear that multiple sectors will use digital twins and 3D product experiences to visualize, connect, and streamline efforts better. A digital twin is a virtual replica of ...

The Decline of Hyper-Casual: How Mid-Core Mobile Games Took Over in 2025

In recent years, the mobile gaming landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with mid-core mobile games emerging as the dominant force in app stores by 2025. This shift is underpinned by changing user habits and evolving monetization tr...

Understanding ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 Project Management Synergy

Key Highlights ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management, emphasising continual improvement and value creation through modern digital transformation approaches. PRINCE2 project management supports systematic planning and execution of projects wit...

What AI Adoption Means for the Future of Workplace Risk Management

Image by freepik As industrial operations become more complex and fast-paced, the risks faced by workers and employers alike continue to grow. Traditional safety models—reliant on manual oversight, reactive investigations, and standardised checklist...

The Times Features

Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light

Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis[1] of eight years of data from the New Zeal...

Going Off the Beaten Path? Here's How to Power Up Without the Grid

There’s something incredibly freeing about heading off the beaten path. No traffic, no crowded campsites, no glowing screens in every direction — just you, the landscape, and the...

West HQ is bringing in a season of culinary celebration this July

Western Sydney’s leading entertainment and lifestyle precinct is bringing the fire this July and not just in the kitchen. From $29 lobster feasts and award-winning Asian banque...

What Endo Took and What It Gave Me

From pain to purpose: how one woman turned endometriosis into a movement After years of misdiagnosis, hormone chaos, and major surgery, Jo Barry was done being dismissed. What beg...

Why Parents Must Break the Silence on Money and Start Teaching Financial Skills at Home

Australia’s financial literacy rates are in decline, and our kids are paying the price. Certified Money Coach and Financial Educator Sandra McGuire, who has over 20 years’ exp...

Australia’s Grill’d Transforms Operations with Qlik

Boosting Burgers and Business Clean, connected data powers real-time insights, smarter staffing, and standout customer experiences Sydney, Australia, 14 July 2025 – Qlik®, a g...