The P.L.A.Y. Project autumn training season is in full swing! In September, Dr. Solomon and team trained 31 new P.L.A.Y. Project Home Consultants for the state of Ohio’s early intervention system, in partnership with OCALI and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
Over the past three years, over 125 early intervention (EI) professionals have been trained in Ohio. The P.L.A.Y. Project Home Consultation Program is now available for free to families of young children with autism spectrum disorders in 80% of the 88 counties in Ohio. Molly Kurtz, who is coordinating the state-wide training initiative, stated: “This is an exciting time for us In Ohio! With another P.L.A.Y. Project training, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities has moved much closer to our goal that every child and family with ASD who wants these services has access to them.”
The September training took place at the OCALI headquarters in Columbus, OH. Here are what some participants had to say about The P.L.A.Y. Project training:
“I’m very excited to begin The P.L.A.Y. Project! This training has given me a new perspective that I can use with all of the families/children that we serve in EI. I am so glad that I had the privilege to participate in this training.” ~ Debra Osborne, Pike County BODD
“The P.L.A.Y. Project is a great program not only for children with ASD, but also for a wide range of other delays/disorders. The principles can be used universally for every parent/child relationship. Every individual working with young children and their caregiver should provide P.L.A.Y. services. This program can be the answer to the bonding issues in ASD. It all comes back to play!” ~Katie Cooper, Union County BODD
“This approach makes sense! The parent/child relationship is the foundation for learning for young children. If we can help foster and provide skills to develop a strong relationship then we have helped the family build a foundation for many other skills.” ~Erin Crum, Union County BODD
“I’m really looking forward to starting The P.L.A.Y. Project. I am excited to be able to help parents interact with their children and build a more intimate relationship with them, instead of just training children to follow instructions.” ~Anonymous
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities received grant funding to train professionals so that more children have quality P.L.A.Y. Project services in homes and preschools across the state. This grant also develops diagnostic partnerships in order to diagnose children earlier and cut their waiting time for that diagnosis. Both these initiatives work hand in hand to address the alarming increase of children diagnosed with ASD.
It is inspiring to work with policy makers and early intervention professionals who are so committed to addressing the needs of the growing number of children on the autism spectrum. We at The P.L.A.Y. Project Headquarters are honored to be a part of Ohio’s ambitious initiative to improve early diagnosis and intervention at the state level.
You can read more about The P.L.A.Y. Project Agency Training and Certification here.