ABSTRACT
Neurodivergent children include children with autism. The Neurodiversity Movement has challenged professionals not to “normalize” neurodivergent people through therapy or intervention and for therapies to consider joy and interests while improving mental health and reducing anxiety. This chapter presents a case study of Tommy, a child with autism. This chapter explores how Tommy’s social engagement system is activated through Learn to Play Therapy and the joy of playing. Through Tommy’s case example and engaging in the therapeutic powers of play, this chapter explores how play therapists emphasize re-engagement of the social system when working with neurodivergent children. Specific play activities are described, and the “entry points” of engagement with a neurodivergent child are identified. Techniques and the therapist’s therapeutic presence are woven into Tommy’s experience with the result that he experienced joy in play and transferred skills to his day-to-day life outside the playroom.
