Developmental Play Therapy
Sometimes young children show delays or disorders in their development. Three types of therapy sessions are available for children ages birth through 5 and their families:
Home-Based Sessions:
These therapy sessions take place in your home. You and the therapist would meet where you and your child normally play, engage in caregiving routines, or where your child can join you in daily chores.
Nature-Based Sessions:
These therapy sessions happen in either in your yard, a park, or in a wooded area or field near your home or park. Nature-Based Play Therapy can be fun and beneficial for children and caregivers.
Teletherapy Sessions:
These therapy sessions occur over a secure digital platform.
All play therapy employs parent coaching during hour-long sessions that are usually held once a week, and the effectiveness and success of this therapy depends on each parent’s or caregiver’s commitment to implementing strategies between sessions. Collaboration with child care centers and preschools is undertaken for children who also attend these programs.
Play Therapy is accessed and billed in two ways:
Children under three can receive free or reduced Developmental Play Therapy through the NC-Infant Toddler Program. Parents with concerns contact the local Child Developmental Services Agency, and receive an evaluation. After the evaluation, an Individualized Family Services Plan is made and parents may indicate their interest in Specialized Instruction with EdPath Specialized Learning Services Developmental Play Therapist. Children over three begin with the step below as the first step.
Play therapy for children ages three through five is available directly from EdPath Specialized Learning Services on a private-pay basis.
A typical session is conducted as follows:
Initially, the therapist and parent discuss and assess their child’s development, then an individualized plan is created to address needs, while taking into account each child’s interests and strengths. Play and daily routines are used to help the children meet their learning goals.
During each session, you and the therapist will check-in to see what issues may have arisen over the previous week, what strategies had been tried, and how they had worked. According to that feedback, the therapist will ask questions and collaborate with you on devising strategies to address any concerns. The therapist will share detailed information on child development, developmental differences, and helpful techniques and strategies. You and the play therapist will discuss these strategies and ideas, and agree on which ones you will implement between sessions. The therapist may also recommend you take videos, make journal entries, or take other data between sessions. During the following session, you and the therapist will discuss how the practice went, review any data collected, and may practice again during that session.