Social Skills & Play Therapy
Connection, play, friendships and understanding emotions.
What is it?
Social skills and play therapies help children enjoy being with others — on their own terms. Approaches like Floortime (DIR) and parent-mediated programmes build connection by joining in a child’s play, while social skills groups help older children practise friendships.
How it helps
- Shared attention — enjoying the same thing together
- Turn-taking, sharing and simple games
- Pretend play and imagination
- Recognising and naming emotions
- Making and keeping friends
What a session looks like
In Floortime, the adult gets down on the floor and follows the child’s lead — if the child lines up cars, the therapist joins in and slowly adds small changes to build back-and-forth play. In groups, children practise skills through games, role-play and stories.
Video lessons
Follow along with our step-by-step videos. New lessons are added regularly.
Try this at home
- Join their play — copy what your child does before trying to change it
- Take turns with simple games: rolling a ball, building a tower
- Name feelings: “You’re happy! You’re smiling.”
- Use social stories — short picture stories about situations like a birthday party
- Set up short playdates with one calm friend and a clear activity
Tip: The goal is not to make your child act “normal”. It is to help them build real connections and feel comfortable with people.
Finding the right therapist
- Look for a qualified, licensed professional with experience with autistic children
- Ask how they will involve you and what goals they will set
- Choose someone your child is happy and comfortable with
- Expect regular progress updates you can understand
Please note: The information on this website is for general education and support. It is not medical advice. Every child is different — please work with a qualified doctor, developmental paediatrician or licensed therapist for assessment and treatment.