School OTs: Play-based occupational therapy isn’t only an effective way to deliver occupational therapy services to the kids you serve; play therapy is also fun! Read more.

<p>Occupational therapists, including school-based OTs, often use play-based interventions to support children&rsquo;s learning, development and growth. After all, play is the primary occupation of childhood! It&rsquo;s <em>also</em> one of the reasons occupational therapy can be so much fun. If you&rsquo;ve been looking for play-based therapy activities to use with your OT clients, you&rsquo;ve landed in the right spot.</p>

<p>Here, we&rsquo;ll cover:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Benefits of play and play-based therapy</li>
	<li>Materials and equipment for play-based occupational therapy</li>
	<li>Play-based therapy for:
	<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
		<li>ADHD</li>
		<li>Autism</li>
		<li>Intellectual disability</li>
		<li>Sensory issues</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2>Benefits of Play and Play-based Occupational Therapy</h2>

<p>Play is an integral part of our development as human beings. It&rsquo;s how we learn to interact with others and the world around us. Play can help make learning fun. It has been defined as &ldquo;a pleasurable physical or mental activity that enhances the child&rsquo;s skills involving negotiation abilities, problem-solving, manual dexterity, sharing, decision-making, and working in a group&rdquo; (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9850869/" target="_blank">Elbeltagi et al</a>.).</p>

<p>When we&rsquo;re young, play is essential in helping us develop independence in tasks, including &ldquo;holding a pencil, managing clothing fasteners, tools and utensils, dressing, toileting, self-feeding, school tasks, performing community activities, and many more areas require the development and interaction of the areas that a child develops through play&rdquo; (<a href="https://www.theottoolbox.com/occupational-therapy-play/" target="_blank">OTtoolbox</a>).</p>

<p>When we look at the many benefits of play, it&rsquo;s clear that these benefits can spill over into occupational therapy. Play helps children develop (<a href="https://www.theottoolbox.com/occupational-therapy-play/" target="_blank">OTtoolbox</a>):</p>

<div style="display: flex;flex-direction: row;">
<div>
<ul style="margin-right:20px;">
	<li>Attention</li>
	<li>Balance</li>
	<li>Behavior</li>
	<li>Cognition</li>
	<li>Creativity</li>
	<li>Executive-functioning skills</li>
	<li>Fine-motor skills</li>
	<li>Gross-motor skills</li>
	<li>Imagination</li>
	<li>Language development</li>
</ul>
	</div>
<div>
<ul>
	<li>Problem-solving</li>
	<li>Self-confidence</li>
	<li>Self-regulation</li>
	<li>Sensory integration</li>
	<li>Social-emotional development</li>
	<li>Stress relief</li>
	<li>Strength</li>
	<li>Visual-motor integration</li>
	<li>Visual processing</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>


<p>Play also can lead to improvements in (<a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1256044.pdf" target="_blank">Rathnakumar</a>):</p>


<div style="display: flex;flex-direction: row;">
<div>
<ul style="margin-right:20px;">
	<li>Curiosity</li>
	<li>Empathy</li>
	<li>Imaginativeness</li>
	<li>Impulse control</li>
	<li>Innovation</li>
	<li>Intellectual competence</li>
	<li>Language comprehension</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
	<li>Language level</li>
	<li>Individual and group interaction</li>
	<li>Peer cooperation</li>
	<li>Problem-solving strategies</li>
	<li>Socialization</li>
	<li>Verbalization</li>
	<li>Vocabulary</li>
</ul>
	</div>
</div>


<h2>Goals of Play and Play-Based Occupational Therapy</h2>

<p>According to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9850869/" target="_blank">Elbeltagi et al</a>, goals and outcomes of play and play therapy are to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Have fun</li>
	<li>Discover personal interests</li>
	<li>Prevent or solve psychosocial challenges</li>
	<li>Support optimal development and growth</li>
	<li>Use toys or activities for self-expression</li>
	<li>Feel out various interaction styles</li>
	<li>Learn and master negotiation abilities and problem-solving</li>
	<li>Strengthen emotional intelligence</li>
	<li>Improve manual dexterity</li>
	<li>Learn how to share and work within a group</li>
	<li>Integrate mental development and social life</li>
	<li>Exercise and remain healthy</li>
	<li>Discover the surrounding world</li>
	<li>Promote abilities to study and work</li>
	<li>Hone relationships with peers and community</li>
</ul>

<h2>Play-Based Occupational Therapy Equipment and Materials</h2>

<p>To create occupational therapy environments that support play-based OT, schools can include:</p>


<div style="display: flex;flex-direction: row;">
<div>
<ul style="margin-right:20px;">
	<li>Balloons</li>
	<li>Balls</li>
	<li>Books</li>
	<li>Bubbles</li>
	<li>Craft supplies</li>
	<li>Games</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
	<li>Gym mats</li>
	<li>Mini-erasers</li>
	<li>Recycled materials</li>
	<li>Swings</li>
	<li>Toys</li>
</ul>
	</div>
</div>

<h2>Play Therapy for Common Issues OTs Treat</h2>

<p>School-based occupational therapists can use play-based therapy to help students with nearly any issue. Here are four of the most common issues OTs see in schools &ndash; ADHD, autism, intellectual disability and sensory processing disorder &ndash; and some play-based therapy suggestions for each. These are merely suggestions and should be adapted for each child. Further, these suggestions can be used across various issues for which children receive OT services. Get creative and find out what works best for your kids!</p>

<h3>Play Therapy for ADHD</h3>

<p>Play therapy can be helpful for children with <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/executive-functioning-and-self-regulation-strategies-for-Students-with-ADHD?category=Educator+Tips">ADHD</a>, particularly because so many kids with ADHD are often told &ldquo;no.&rdquo; Play-based therapy is a chance to let loose, get silly and have some fun. In <a href="https://www.additudemag.com/play-therapy/" target="_blank">ADDitude Magazine</a>, Ellen Kingsley says, &ldquo;Play therapy can be used for children to connect, learn, provide reassurance, calm anxiety, and, perhaps, improve self-esteem.&rdquo; Kingsley&rsquo;s article has tips for play therapy that OTs can adapt to use in the school environment for children with ADHD:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Engage in narrative play with animal figures or dolls</li>
	<li>Start the day with play &ndash; running in the grass, digging in the dirt, coloring sidewalks with chalk</li>
	<li>Use puppets to explore emotions and reframe upsetting situations</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Shake out the meanies,&rdquo; have children wiggle their own bodies to shake off their grouchy, children cranky or angry feelings</li>
	<li>Use imagination to create and draw scenarios, like a backyard zoo when you can&rsquo;t visit the real zoo</li>
</ul>

<h2>Play Therapy for Autism</h2>

<p><a name="_Hlk150087605">According to </a><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9850869/" target="_blank">Elbeltagi et al</a>., play may be significantly impaired in children with autism. For this reason, occupational therapists can play a critical role in helping students with autism tap into play. Types of play that can be used include (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9850869/" target="_blank">Elbeltagi et al</a>.):</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Child-led play</strong> &ndash; Child chooses an activity, and therapist joins; can help pull children out of their shells, attract their interest, and improve communication and social skills</li>
	<li><strong>Clown therapy</strong> &ndash; Child dresses and acts as a clown, similar to drama therapy; helps children discover the absurdity in everyday life and explore different approaches to communication</li>
	<li><strong>Media play </strong>&ndash; Child engages in play with technology; limited, monitored use can allow children to practice self-control and self-learning with trial and error; can help with critical thinking, executive function, qualitative thinking, and creativity in problem-solving; may involve using tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive, auditory, and visual systems more effectively; can boost self-esteem, self-confidence, and behavior</li>
	<li><strong>Object play</strong> &ndash; Child explores, constructs or manipulates objects; improves visual-motor integration skills, manual dexterity and interactive social development</li>
	<li><strong>Physical play</strong> &ndash; Child runs, climbs, skips, hops, kicks, and chases; helps fight obesity, improves insulin sensitivity, promotes health; improves gross motor skills, coordination, aerobic endurance, muscle growth; improves cognitive, mental, self-regulation development and expression, executive function, enhances academic outcomes; promotes the sensory integration, incorporation, and processing mechanism between the central nervous system and the body</li>
	<li><strong>Pretend play </strong>&ndash; Child creates imaginary worlds; assumes other&rsquo;s roles; imagines places things or other times; animates surrounding objects; strengthens cognitive, cultural, emotional, social, creative and problem-solving and language skills; can impact school readiness, memory development, attention empowerment, intelligence enhancement, morality, and emotion regulation; helps understand others, express their feelings, regulate their thoughts, and better cope with their emotions</li>
	<li><strong>Floor time play</strong> &ndash; Child and OT sit on the floor together; child leads play, and therapist introduces new elements (toys, words, acts); helps with emotional skills, communication, thinking, and focus; opens the door for complex communication; supports inspirational ideas, self-regulation, emotional growth, interest in the world</li>
</ul>

<h2>Play Therapy for Intellectual Disability</h2>

<p>Play-based occupational therapy can also help children with <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/embracing-struggle-a-path-to-growth-and-learning?category=Educator+Tips">intellectual disabilities</a>. According to <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1256044.pdf" target="_blank">Rathnakumar</a>, types of play can include:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Game play</strong> &ndash; Child plays card games, board games or active games like hide-and-seek; involved activities governed by rules; can teach turn-taking and cause and effect</li>
	<li><strong>Social play</strong> &ndash; Child engages in social or interactive play situations with rules or protocols; rules can be revealed, explored and changed; players agree to abide by the rules</li>
	<li><strong>Mastery play</strong> &ndash; Child participates in activities that control the physical and affective ingredients of the environments: dig holes, construct shelters, etc.</li>
	<li><strong>Fantasy play</strong> &ndash; Child pretends to be whomever or do whatever they can imagine; such as being a pilot and flying around the world</li>
</ul>

<h2>Play Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder</h2>

<p>For children who struggle with <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/how-to-create-a-sensory-friendly-classroom?category=Educator+Tips">sensory processing disorder</a> (SPD), play-based therapy can also be highly effective. <a href="https://www.chrichmond.org/blog/sensory-play-a-fun-developmental-tool-for-all-kids" target="_blank">Children&rsquo;s Hospital of Richmond</a> recommends the following activities:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Animal walks</strong> &ndash; Child selects the name of an animal and walks around like the animal by crawling, crab walking, jumping or bear walking</li>
	<li><strong>Wall push-over</strong> &ndash; Child stands with both hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart, and tries to push the wall over to the count of 20. Repeat this five times or more, counting to 20 each time and repeat with shoulder, hip, back, and rear</li>
	<li><strong>Finger painting &ndash; </strong>Child paints with finger paint or a grainy material like sand mixed into the paint</li>
</ul>

<p>As a school-based OT, you can get creative and build therapy activities around play. Whether you&rsquo;re working with students with SPD, ADHD, autism, or other challenges, play-based therapy isn&rsquo;t only an effective way to deliver occupational therapy services to the kids you serve; it&rsquo;s also fun!</p>

<p>To learn where your specialized skills are needed helping kids in exciting locations across the country, check out our <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education">school OT jobs</a> now.</p>

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