PLAY Project

The PLAY Project (acronym for Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) is a community-based, national autism training and early intervention program established in 2001 by Richard Solomon, MD.^[1]^{[non-primary source needed]} Based on the DIR (Developmental, Individualized, Relationship-based)^[2] theory of Stanley Greenspan MD, the program is designed to train parents and professionals to implement intensive, developmental interventions for young children (18 months to 6 years) with autism. The program is operating in nearly 100 agencies worldwide including 25 states and in seven countries outside the U.S. (Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Israel, Ireland and Switzerland).^[3] The PLAY Project has been operating since 2001 from its headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI.

Professional training model

The PLAY Project trains those with accredited degrees in child development fields or who have demonstrated superior knowledge and experience with children on the autism spectrum, including psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, teachers, occupational therapists.

Once trained as Certified Consultants,^[4]^{[non-primary source needed]} these professionals implement the model in their own communities, teaching parents the play-based, developmental intervention.

Evidence

The PLAY Project follows The National Academy of Sciences^[5] ^{[citation not found]} recommendations for the education of young children with autistic spectrum disorders:

Begin interventions early (18 months to 5 years)
Use intensive intervention 25 hours per week
Have a teacher/play partner to child ratio of 1:1 or 1:2
Use interventions that are engaging and
Have a strategic direction (e.g. social skills, language, etc.)

Research

In September 2009, The PLAY Project received a $1.85 million grant^[6] from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to conduct a three-year controlled, clinical study of the PLAY Project model. Drawing participants from five Easter Seals autism service locations, the study compares the outcomes of 60 children who participate in The PLAY Project with the outcomes of 60 children who receive standard community interventions, making it the largest study of its kind. Before and after the 12-month intervention, each child is assessed with a battery of tests to measure developmental level, speech and language, sensory-motor profile, and social skills.

The results of previous research on the program were published by the peer-reviewed British journal, Autism^[7]^{[non-primary source needed]}

References

^ Richard Solomon, MD
^ ICDL website Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
^ P.L.A.Y. Project locations
^ http://www.playproject.org/certificationtraining/certifiedconsultant/ "Certified Consultants"
^ The National Academy of Sciences website Archived 2011-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
^ Gossiaux, P. (2010, April 11). Ann Arbor-based PLAY Project awarded $1.8 million for autism therapy trial. AnnArbor.com (Ann Arbor, MI) [1]
^ Solomon, R., Necheles, J., Ferch, C., & Bruckman, D. (2007). Pilot study of a parent training program for young children with autism. Autism vol. 11 no. 3 205-224 doi:10.1177/1362361307076842 [2]<May, 2007).

External links

[1] Richard Solomon, MD

[2] ICDL website Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine

[3] P.L.A.Y. Project locations

[4] ttp://www.playproject.org/certificationtraining/certifiedconsultant/ "Certified Consultants"

[5] The National Academy of Sciences website Archived 2011-04-30 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Gossiaux, P. (2010, April 11). Ann Arbor-based PLAY Project awarded $1.8 million for autism therapy trial. AnnArbor.com (Ann Arbor, MI) [1]

[7] Solomon, R., Necheles, J., Ferch, C., & Bruckman, D. (2007). Pilot study of a parent training program for young children with autism. Autism vol. 11 no. 3 205-224 doi:10.1177/1362361307076842 [2]<May, 2007).

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v t e Autism
Main	Causes Diagnosis Epidemiology Epigenetics Heritability History Memory Pathophysiology Sex and gender Societal and cultural aspects Therapies
Diagnoses	Pervasive developmental disorder Classic autism Asperger syndrome Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified Childhood disintegrative disorder High-functioning autism
Associated conditions and phenomena	Alexithymia Autism and LGBT identities Autistic burnout Autistic catatonia Autistic masking Autistic meltdown Hyperlexia Late talker Monotropism Nonverbal autism Pathological demand avoidance Savant syndrome Special interests Infodumping Dopamine Dressing Stimming Echolalia Echopraxia Emotional dysregulation
Comorbid conditions	Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Anxiety disorder obsessive–compulsive disorder Developmental coordination disorder Epilepsy Intellectual disability Sensory processing disorder Global developmental delay Verbal Dyspraxia
Associated syndromes	22q11.2 deletion syndrome 22q13 deletion syndrome Angelman syndrome CHARGE syndrome Cohen syndrome Cornelia de Lange syndrome Down syndrome Fetal valproate spectrum disorder Fragile X syndrome MECP2 duplication syndrome Neurofibromatosis type I Noonan syndrome PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome Rett syndrome Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome Timothy syndrome Tuberous sclerosis complex Williams syndrome
Related issues	Autism rights movement Critical autism studies Double empathy problem Multiple complex developmental disorder Neurodiversity TEACCH program Violence and autism
Controversies	Facilitated communication Lancet MMR autism fraud MMR vaccine Rapid prompting method Thiomersal Chelation
Diagnostic scales	Autism Diagnostic Interview Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Childhood Autism Rating Scale Gilliam Asperger's disorder scale
Screening scales	Autism-spectrum quotient Childhood Autism Spectrum Test Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale
Lists	Autism-related topics Fictional characters Schools
Accommodations	Autism-friendly Sensory friendly