Maybe your child has a great speech therapist or occupational therapist. They’ve helped with language building, self-regulation, expressing emotions, and interaction. But when you go to large kid spaces like playspaces or playgrounds, your child still seems to struggle. So what next?
What an ideal social skills learning environment should be:
- In the natural setting with everyday activities
- With a variety of peers
- With parent support and input
- With support from a neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based lens
- During activities your child enjoys!
That’s why we are introducing the Open Play Plus membership.
This membership will provide hands-on support from our best and longest working staff. Supervised by owner and speech therapist Lindsay, play coaches Joselyn and Erin will utilize their years of experience and DIR/Floortime training to support your child’s social skills within the play space.
What will this look like?
Twice a month you will bring your child to SPL for their scheduled time. Play sessions are an hour-long play session with your designated play coach in the play space. Your child will play with the toys/equipment they love, and our play coach will utilize DIR/Floortime principles to work on their designated social goals.
First Visit:
Using the DIR/Floortime framework, we will learn about your child’s individual differences, sensory profile, and family goals/expectations. Your play coach will co-create 2-3 goals with you related to your child’s social skills you’d like to work on during this membership experience.
Each Visit:
Your play coach working 1:1 with your child in the playspace!
Topics will include:
- Build attention & focus on others for longer periods of time
- Engage & find pleasure with peers through play
- Increase communication with peers, including gestures & verbal language
- Problem solve collaboratively with peers when issues arise
- Use ideas creatively & spontaneously during play
Semi-Annual Follow-up (6 month increments):
Meeting with your play coach and owner Lindsay to discuss progress, next steps, and ongoing concerns.
Additional Perks!
We want this membership to solve lots of issues families face when they have neurodivergent or spirited kids. That’s why we are adding a once a month small group Q&A with owner and speech therapist Lindsay. Use this session to connect to other families and get your questions answered about district issues,
Read our FAQ to learn more!
Who is a good fit for this Membership? Children ages 18 months – 8 years old are a good fit, with social learning differences, a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or a global developmental delay.
How long should I expect to keep the Membership? We recommend at least 6 months to see progress in your child’s social skills. You can pause or cancel the membership with 15 days notice to SPL.
Do I need to stay onsite? As a parent, you are a vital part of the experience. Even if you’re off to the side listening while on your phone, we recommend you stay onsite to learn more to transfer what your child is learning to other settings. We will also follow-up directly with you after each session on what was worked on.
What therapy style will you be using? Our play coaches are trained in DIR/Floortime, which can be found here: icdl.com . This therapy style is child-led, play-based, and neurodiversity-affirming.
Can you collaborate with my child’s other therapists? Absolutely! We believe that collaboration is an integral part of any therapeutic journey.
Are your staff therapists? No, our play coach staff are studying early childhood and special education, but are not considered licensed therapists. They have completed at least 45 hours of DIR/Floortime training, and worked at SPL for at least 1.5 years. They will be supervised by owner and speech therapist Lindsay as they work with your child.
Can my child bring a familiar peer? Absolutely! We can work on facilitating play with peers that already know one another or are starting to build a relationship.
Will RCEB cover this? Yes, RCEB is covering this membership for their clients.
What will this cost? Our Founding Members can access this membership at a reduced rate of $295/month.
When will this membership begin? We are starting the membership in September.