At one time, Lisa Seaman wasn't sure if her son, Caden, even knew she was his mom.

Caden, 4, has autism.

The puzzling neurological disorder, which affects development of social and communication skills, occurs in 1 in 150 children. The Autism Society of America calls it the fastest-growing developmental disability.

"(Caden) would come for a hug, but it was mostly because he liked the deep pressure," says Seaman, of Mountville. "There was no connection there.

"He was very much into his own world."

Then Seaman discovered a new way to reach into that world: play.

The idea behind The PLAY Project is to get down on the child's level — literally.

Since incorporating the treatment approach into Caden's routine, which also includes other therapy interventions, Seaman says she's noticed profound improvement in his ability to bond.

"Now (Caden) makes eye contact with us; he comes and seeks us out," she says.

In hopes of sharing the tools of the 8-year-old Ann Arbor, Mich.-based PLAY Project with other parents, Seaman recently teamed up with Kim Shank, Quarryville, whose daughter, Abbie, 4, also has autism.

The moms, both occupational therapists, received certification and created PLAYful Connections, a home-consultation program for The PLAY Project, which has similar programs in 25 states and Italy.

PLAYful Connections is the second licensed provider in Pennsylvania. (The other provider is in Philadelphia.)

In three-hour sessions, Seaman and Shank offer coaching and mentoring to parents within a two-hour radius. So far, the moms have provided in-home sessions for some seven families in and outside of the county.

Seaman and Shank also offer training and seminars, including a recent presentation at the Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center.

"Their program was very helpful, as far as introducing another treatment option," says Lori Shoemaker, Schreiber director of social services. "Parents (of children with autism) are especially hungry to learn about different interventions and approaches to use with their children."

While there are many different approaches, what works well for some families may not work for others. That's why exposure to different options is so important, says Jacqueline Hines, president of the Lititz-based National Autism Association of Pennsylvania.

"Play therapies are very beneficial," Hines says. "Through play you're entering (the child's) world, rather than directing what they do."

"Our passion is so rooted in this," says Shank, who, by utilizing The PLAY Project, says she has noticed a dramatic change in her relationship with her daughter, who also benefits from other therapies.

"I really thought that Abbie didn't like me at all and didn't want to have anything to do with me.

"Now I know she knows I'm her mom.

"I know she loves me."

***

There is no cure for autism.

A National Academy of Sciences 2001 report recommends intensive therapy, with some 25 hours a week of one-on-one programming.

The PLAY Project — "PLAY" stands for Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters — was created by a developmental pediatrician and is based on the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship Based treatment (DIR) model, created by renowned psychiatrist Dr. Stanley Greenspan for use with children with disabilities.

A yearlong study, published in the May 2007 edition of "Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice," reported a significant increase in the development of children with autism who were engaged in the PLAY Project.

A key component is "floortime," which is designed to enhance social and emotional development.

"In essence, floortime is getting on the floor and playing with your child on their level," Shank says, "but it's deeper than that."

The original DIR model recommends that families provide eight to 10 one-on-one sessions a day. But the PLAY Project program offers a more user-friendly option — encouraging three to six 20 to 30-minute sessions, incorporated into daily routines, such as bath and meal time.

Fitting floortime into day-to-day living has been very helpful to PLAYful Connections client Stacy Shoup, West Lampeter Township, who says her son is now making more of an effort to seek out other people and interact with family members.

Client Kathy Paal, Arlington, Va., has also noticed improvement in her son, Trevor, 2½.

"Last week, (Trevor) engaged a typical peer in play at school, and the child said, 'I think he likes me!' " Paal says. "That was the first time we have ever heard another child, other than his brother, comment positively about Trevor.

"We were thrilled. We feel that even though he is developmentally delayed, Trevor is now on his way to developing relationships with peers."

Before Seaman began using floortime, she remembers playing with her son and struggling to make a connection.

"I kept thinking, What magic toy am I going to find that's going to bridge that gap?" she says. "But there was never a toy I found. After I started doing floortime, I discovered that I was that toy."

For instance, she says, when Caden claps or rock, she'll do the same thing, and he'll stop and look at her.

A bond is established.

For that instant, the individual worlds of parent and child merge.

"As parents (of a child with autism), you want so desperately to be in their (worlds) with them," Shank says.

"(The PLAY Project) helps me to get to (Abbie) when she is in that own world.

"Having your child know you're their mother ... it's priceless."

---

AUTISM CONNECTION

WHAT: PLAYful Connections, a Lancaster provider of The PLAY Project, a therapy to help children with autism
DETAILS: The business provides in-home three-hour monthly sessions, as well as trainings and seminars.
CONTACT: For cost and other information, call 799-6248, or go to www.playfulconnections.org.

---

CONTACT THE NEW ERA: sjurgelski@LNPnews.com or 291-8756 blog comments powered by Disqus