Easter Seals Disability Services

The P.L.A.Y. Project

The P.L.A.Y. Project (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) is a home consultation program that provides training and support for families of young children (up to age 6) diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. 

The P.L.A.Y. Project is unique in that it provides training for the parents of children with Autism so they can implement therapy at home. By providing training in the home, the therapist works with the families in an environment where the child feels comfortable.  The project aims to support and educate families on ways to improve language, social and play skills in their children diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.  By training the parents, the child receives a greater level of intervention, as P.L.A.Y. techniques are incorporated into everyday activities to help the child constantly learn and grow. 

The P.L.A.Y. Project was founded by Dr. Rick Solomon, who has diagnosed and treated children with Autism for over 15 years. Dr. Solomon’s initial study of 70 children with Autism demonstrated that 65% of the children in the P.L.A.Y. Project made good to excellent progress. Solomon’s study has been given tremendous credibility with its recent acceptance for publication in the Journal of Autism and receipt of a National Institute of Health grant.   Our P.L.A.Y. therapists implement the program based on Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s floortime model which is developmental, individualized and relationship-based. 

Easter Seals has specially trained therapists to implement the P.L.A.Y. Project enabling them to teach parents how to initiate therapy in the home setting. A child with Autism needs 20-30 hours per week of therapy to learn and grow as quickly as possible. This Project is highly cost effective for families and enables the child to receive a continuum of service throughout their day.  Our P.L.A.Y. consultants conduct monthly home visits where they guide parents in their interactions with their child.  They use video technology to show parents how to use P.L.A.Y. techniques at home and help parents define goals for individualized education plans.

For more information on the P.L.A.Y. project please contact Jan Marie Popovich, Easter Seals North Georgia P.L.A.Y. consultant at (404) 214-0847.

Click Here to download a news release about autism and Easter Seals.

Note: The application is in PDF format and can be opened using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html