Autistic play: why it looks different (and why that’s a good thing)
By Helen Edgar and David Gray-Hammond · From the Re-Storying Autism workbook, Module 4
Autistic play is often misunderstood because it does not always conform to neuronormative expectations of play. It may look repetitive, solitary, highly focused, or intensely interest-driven. From the outside, it is sometimes described as “rigid,” “limited,” or “not ‘real’ play at all.” For Autistic people their play is often rich, generative, and deeply meaningful. To understand Autistic play, we need to step away from neuronormative assumptions about what play should look like, and instead ask a more important question: How does play feel and what meaning does it give? Autistic play is often about regulation, exploration, mastery, patternbuilding, sensory satisfaction, and connection to self. It should not be seen to be preparation for neuronormative adulthood, it is meaningful in it’s own right and goes beyond childhood. It is a legitimate way of learning about the world through an Autistic sensory system and is deeply tied into monotropism. When we reframe play through a more affirming lens, we can begin to see Autistic play not as a problem to be corrected, but as a pathway to learning, wellbeing, and embracing an authentic Autistic identity.
Keep going in the course
This is a short extract. The full lesson in Module 4: Autistic Play and Ways of Learning includes the video teaching, the rest of the workbook text, reflection questions for parents, carers and Autistic people, and progress tracking.