The P.L.A.Y Project’s Autism Intervention Program
We train child development experts to coach parents
to help their young child with autism through play!
Welcome to The PLAY Project
The P.L.A.Y. (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) Project® is a training program for parents and professionals to help children with autism and other developmental differences.
At The P.L.A.Y. Project, we believe:
- Development doesn’t start with drills, pressure, or performance.
It starts with joy. - When a child smiles, laughs, or locks eyes with someone they trust, something powerful happens. A bridge forms. A bond strengthens. The brain lights up. And with it, learning becomes possible. Connection becomes action. Moments become milestones.
- Joy is not a bonus or an afterthought. It’s the source code,
the current, the driving force behind every milestone.
It’s something you follow.
Because when joy leads, growth follows.
“When you do what the child loves, the child will love being with you.”
– Dr. Rick Solomon
The PLAY Project is both a scientifically grounded method and a deeply human practice. We don’t simplify autism, we respect its complexity.
The PLAY Project trainings are designed for all professionals who work with children with autism and other developmental differences. PLAY can be implemented in any professional setting (home, clinic, schools, etc).
The PLAY Project trainings give professionals the tools to support young children with autism through a powerful, relationship-based model that integrates developmental science with practical coaching strategies. Professionals leave with skills they can immediately use to empower families, strengthen parent-child relationships, and promote meaningful developmental growth through play.
The PLAY Project offers 3 different levels of training to meet your needs:
Level 1: Foundations of PLAY
Level 2: Mastering the Child Profile
Level 3: PLAY Certification. Implementation and Supervision.
Parents of children with autism and other developmental differences often carry invisible emotional weight: am I doing enough?
At the PLAY Project, we believe in presence over pressure. Our neurodiversity-affirming approach teaches parents simple, powerful ways to connect with their child through play. By building on everyday interactions, parents gain practical strategies to support their child’s communication, development, and joy in relationships.
The Teaching PLAY program brings the proven PLAY Project model into early childhood and educational settings
Teaching PLAY empowers educators to use everyday classroom interactions and play as powerful tools for supporting communication, engagement, and developmental progress for young children with autism and other developmental differences.
From foundations to fidelity — a pathway to mastery in PLAY. All PLAY Project trainings are fun to learn, practical to implement, and effective in helping families.
Professionals can easily adapt our approach to their existing services.
Level 1: Foundations of PLAY
Level 2: Mastering the Child Profile
Level 3: PLAY Certification. Implementation and Supervision.
Learn more about The PLAY Project Learning Pathways
Training and resources for parents, professionals and teachers supporting children with autism. Explore courses, books, webinars, and free downloads designed to help you build meaningful connections and support development through the PLAY approach.
Check out our store here.
The PLAY Project is supported by research demonstrating that parent-implemented, relationship-based intervention can significantly improve developmental progress for young children with autism while reducing family stress. This evidence reinforces the power of coaching parents to use play and connection as the foundation for learning.
Read our research article “PLAY Project Home Consultation Intervention Program for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders A Randomized Controlled Trial”