Introduction to the Importance of Play Therapy

Some children can't tell you what's wrong. They hit out, freeze or refuse to go into the hall, and asking how they feel gets you nowhere. With specialist help often a long wait away, much of that early support falls to school.

Play is how those children show you instead. You'll learn the stages of play, from playing alone to playing cooperatively, and what a child's play says about where they are emotionally. You'll see how fight, flight, freeze and fawn show up in class, and how SDQ scores help you judge whether a child needs support in school or specialist therapy. There's advice on checking a play therapist is properly registered, and on making the case for therapy in an EHCP.

The presenter is an occupational therapist who runs a children's therapy service and uses play every day.