April 8, 2016

The Childhood League Center to Launch First Licensed PLAY Project Center in U.S.

Evidence-based, parent-implemented intervention benefits young children with autism.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – As part of National Autism Awareness Month in April, The Childhood League Center is proud to announce that Columbus will be the home of the first licensed PLAY Project Center in the country.

The PLAY Project Center was officially announced on April 8, 2016, at a statewide conference at the Bridgewater Banquet and Conference Center in Powell before an audience of more than 400 attendees.

“We are thrilled to launch the PLAY Project Center to bring this proven, parent-led program to help even more families throughout the region,” said Ginger Young, executive director of The Childhood League Center. “The PLAY Project helps families use play to meaningfully interact with their child with autism in their natural environment to strengthen the child’s social and emotional learning. Through the new PLAY Project Center, more professionals will be trained, which will provide more access to services for families in Ohio and across the country.”

The PLAY Project Center will provide training to graduate-level professionals to become certified PLAY Project Consultants. Trainings and workshops will also be available for professionals in the medical and educational fields who are interested in learning more about the PLAY Project and how they can use it in their own setting.

About the PLAY Project

The PLAY (Play and Learning for Autistic Youngsters) Project is an affordable and effective autism intervention for children. Parents are trained to provide the interventions themselves, meaning maximum benefit to both children and families. Highly-trained PLAY Project Consultants work with families to develop individualized plans and provide supportive guidance, coaching, modeling and video feedback along the way.

“A plan is tailored to a specific child and really gives parents the tools to strengthen their connection with their child,” said Dr. Richard Solomon, the founder of the PLAY Project and medical director for The Childhood League Center. “Empowering families to engage with their children very intentionally for 15-20 hours per week is the key to the PLAY Project.” Solomon said that he developed the program in response to the lack of availability of intensive early intervention services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

According to The Centers for Disease Control, it is estimated that one in 68 children is diagnosed with ASD. On average, children identified with autism were not diagnosed until after age four, even though children can be diagnosed as early as 12 months old. Intervening early is critical for children with autism, and the PLAY Project can begin even before an official diagnosis.

“Without spending critical time waiting for a diagnosis, PLAY Project can impact emotional and social interaction skills during critical windows of development,” said Solomon.

Research showed that the PLAY Project leads to increased quality interactions between the caregiver and child, increased social interactions, improved social-emotional development, and improved autism-related symptoms such as behavioral compliance. Furthermore, it showed a positive impact on the trajectory for young children with autism, improving social interaction, communication and functional development.

“[My child] is a different kid from the time we started the PLAY Project,” said Meghan Griesemer, a PLAY Project parent at The Childhood League Center. “He is much more interactive, [and] his language skills have exploded. Things that I thought he would never be able to do, he can do…I don’t worry about his future anymore. It is work for him, it’s work for me, but we’re more closely bonded than we ever were. It’s been the key to his development. It’s the reason he’s doing so well right now and we’re so lucky to have found it.”

For more information about the PLAY Project Center or about the PLAY Project, visit www.interveningearly.org.

About The Childhood League Center

Founded in 1945, The Childhood League Center serves children with developmental delays by providing the best in early childhood education, interventions and therapies. The Center’s holistic approach works hand-in-hand with families, offering classroom programs, home-based coaching programs, early intervention services and supportive services for families. The Childhood League Center is working in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Relate & Grow to help bring the PLAY Project to even more families throughout the region through the PLAY Project Center.