Testimonials
Ramie (age 5)
"Ramie was diagnosed with Autism when she was three. Ramie often seemed to be in a world of her own and didn't interact much with her family. Soon after Ramie began play therapy at school, I met Ms. Deborah and asked how I could help Ramie socially. Ms. Deborah enthusiastically invited me to join-in on Ramie's weekly play therapy sessions. When I arrived for the my first session, Ms. Deborah and Ramie were on the playground; Ms. Deborah was swinging Ramie from in front of the swing while singing to her at the same time, instead of pushing her silently from behind. Ms. Deborah encouraged me to give it a try; so I did, and that little adjustment in my way of swinging Ramie made a world of difference in the quality of our playtime together! Over the next year, I learned many more easy and fun ways to get Ramie's attention while playing with her; and to my surprise, Ramie also began to show more interest in Emerson (Ramie's grandfather) and Madison (Ramie's sister), even though neither of them had attended any of Ramie's play therapy sessions."
- Kana O., Ramie's grandmother
Heather (age 15)
"My teenage daughter, Heather, who is diagnosed with Autism, has received play therapy with Deborah at various times over the years since Heather was three. Deborah's play therapy techniques have been an integral part of my daily interactions with Heather throughout her childhood and have contributed greatly to Heather's ability to enjoy social interaction. Although Heather loves solitary play, there are also many times a day when she seeks out the company of others. Heather genuinely enjoys playing with her family, relatives and friends. Heather particularly enjoys singing and "being silly" with others, and she is able to independently initiate interactive play."
- Christopher C, Heather's father
Heather, a teenager with Autism, has always loved songs and has a strong sense of humor. Through play therapy, Heather's love of singing and "being silly" can be channeled to enjoy and strengthen her relationships. In this video, Deborah the Play Therapist guides Heather in singing two versions of Heather's favorite song: first, the familiar version to practice sustained interpersonal eye contact, and then "the silly way" (meaning, that Heather improvises her own lyrics on the spot) to experience the joy of sharing a laugh!