With Robert Jason Grant, PhD

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Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 2027

• Cost: $575 (plus processing fee

• Early Bird by December 31, 2026: $499 (plus processing fee)

• 12 CE Non-Contact Hours

• 12 CE Contact Hours

• Dawson Counseling and Play Therapy is an Approved APT Provider #17-514

• Dawson Counseling and Play Therapy is an approved providers for LPC, LMFT, and LCSW (Provider Number 20260385) in Oklahoma.

• This course meets the APT social and cultural diversity requirements.

This is an intensive 12 hour training that focuses on teaching the AutPlay Therapy framework – a diversity understanding for implementing play therapy with neurodivergent children (autistic, ADHD, sensory differences, learning differences, developmental disabilities, etc.) and their families. The AutPlay Therapy framework highlights neurodiversity affirming and informed constructs within the therapeutic powers of play and seminal play therapy theories and approaches. Emphasis is placed on understanding and addressing mental health needs for neurodivergent children and adolescents.

This training provides awareness for the play therapist in working with neurodivergent children and adolescents and how to be in healthy, safe, and affirming therapeutic relationship. Participants learn how to conceptualize the neurodivergent child’s spectrum of presentation and how to assess for needs (therapy goals). AutPlay inventories and worksheets will be highlighted along with how to affirmingly include parents and children as partners in the play therapy process. Concepts will be covered and explored through experiential play interventions designed to address therapy goals.

The three general therapy phases in play therapy implementation will be covered which include intake and assessment, structured play interventions (theory and approach selection), and termination. Affirming understanding of neurodivergent play and regulation and dysregulation concepts will be covered. The AutPlay Therapy Follow Me Approach (FMA) is explained which details how to work with children with little to no engagement and attunement ability creating integrative play therapy to improve connection and relationship development. Several play therapy interventions are explained and demonstrated through session video clips. Experiential activities are presented, and case conceptualization and planning are discussed.

Once you have registered for the training, you will be emailed a pre-training form with a few instructions before your two-day in-person training. The instructions include processes for completing the full AutPlay certification program. This includes instructions for purchasing and reading the book The AutPlay Therapy Handbook: Integrative Family Play Therapy with Neurodivergent Children by Robert Jason Grant and watching the recorded webinar – Introduction to AutPlay Therapy.

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Cancellation/Refund Policy 

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Objectives:

1. Explain neurodiversity and the neurodiversity paradigm as it relates to play therapy work.

2. Conceptualize the foundational principles of being neurodiversity informed and affirming related to play therapy.

3. Conceptualize integrative play therapy processes for individualizing therapy approach.

4. Describe common mental health goals for neurodivergent children addressed through play therapy.

5. Identify several structured play therapy interventions to use for addressing therapy goals.

6. Implement the three overarching phases of play therapy (AutPlay Therapy framework) – intake and assessment, structured intervention (play therapy theory/approach selection), and termination.

7. Discuss how to affirmingly involve parents and children as partners in the play therapy process.

8. Describe the AutPlay model of regulation/dysregulation.

9. Identify play therapy interventions to address dysregulation needs (creating a regulation play time).

10. Implement the AutPlay Follow Me Approach, designed for children with higher support needs.

11. Explain common neurodivergent play presentations as manifested in play therapy work.

12. Understand the diverse complexities and concepts present when implementing play therapy with neurodivergent children.

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