Play teaches children how to make friends, share with others, and understand the world around them. For kids with autism spectrum disorder, playing with others can feel hard. But play is one of the best ways to help them grow socially.
Why Playing With Others Is Important
When kids play together, they learn valuable life skills. They figure out how to wait their turn, share toys, work as a team, and see things from another person’s point of view. They get better at noticing facial expressions and responding to how others feel.
Most children pick up these skills naturally. They watch friends play and jump right in. They learn social rules just by being around other kids. But children with autism spectrum disorder usually need extra help and guidance. Things that seem clear to other children can feel confusing to them. That’s why structured, thoughtful play makes such a big difference. The right approach turns playtime into a chance to connect instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Using ABA Therapy to Teach Social Play
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy treats play as a powerful teaching method. ABA therapy for autism builds play into every session because kids learn better when they’re enjoying themselves. Making learning fun keeps children interested and helps them remember what they learn.
Behavioral spectrum ABA therapy for autism breaks big social skills into smaller, easier pieces. Think about playing a simple board game. Kids need to wait patiently, follow the rules, stay calm when they lose, and pay attention even when it’s not their turn. Our therapists teach each piece separately and celebrate every step forward.
Different Play Styles That Build Skills
Each type of play helps children learn something new.
Parallel Play: Kids play next to each other with similar toys but don’t really interact. This works well for children with autism for ABA therapy who are just starting. They learn to feel okay around other kids and sometimes watch what others are doing.
Associative Play: Kids share toys and talk a little, but aren’t working toward the same goal. They might say something about what the other person made or pass toys back and forth. This helps them notice other children and practice simple conversations.
Cooperative Play: Kids work together to accomplish something. They might build a tall tower as a team, pretend to run a restaurant with different jobs, or put a puzzle together. This takes cooperation, talking things out, and sometimes giving in. This is what we’re aiming for.
Teaching Play Skills at Home
ABA in-home therapy gives children a special advantage. They practice in their own home with their favorite toys and family members nearby. Being in a familiar place makes kids feel less nervous and helps them use their new skills everywhere, not just in therapy.
During ABA in-home therapy, therapists show children how to ask someone to play, say yes when invited to play, and keep the fun going. They might show how to ask a brother or sister to play, how to take turns, or what to do when you want different things. Then the child tries it with the therapist cheering them on.
Home sessions also bring siblings and parents into the learning. Brothers and sisters often make great play buddies who genuinely want to help. Parents watch the techniques in real time and learn how to keep the positive play going all week long.
How Parent Training Changes Everything
Parent ABA training helps families make playtime work better. Instead of feeling stuck when play falls apart, parents learn exactly what to do. Through parent ABA training, you’ll discover how to set up play situations that feel easy and fun for everyone.
You’ll learn how much help to give without doing everything for your child. You’ll know when to give a gentle reminder, when to let your child work things out, and how to praise good social choices right away. You’ll also learn how to use activities your child already loves to encourage trying new social situations.
One helpful trick is setting up play for success from the start. Keep sessions short at first. Choose games your child already likes. Start with one easygoing friend instead of a big group. When your child feels confident, you can make things more challenging.
Finding Play Moments All Day Long
You don’t need fancy toys or special plans for social play. Regular daily activities give you plenty of chances. Making cookies together teaches taking turns with the mixing spoon. Shopping for groceries can include deciding together which fruit looks best. Even putting toys away can become a team challenge to see how quickly you can finish together.
The trick is noticing these moments and pointing out the social parts. Say what you see happening: “You gave me the red block, and I said thanks. We’re a great team!” Saying this out loud helps children understand the social back-and-forth that other kids might understand automatically.
Tracking How Your Child Grows
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy focuses on measuring real progress. Therapists count actual behaviors like how often your child asks someone to play, how long play lasts, or how well your child responds to other kids. We track progress to see growth you might miss day to day. A child who used to play alone all afternoon might now look for a sibling twice a day. That’s a real improvement worth celebrating and building on.
Watching Confidence Grow
Each good play experience makes your child braver and more willing to try again. When kids feel the happiness of connecting with someone, when they make a friend laugh or see excitement about playing together, something important happens. Playing with others starts feeling good instead of scary or confusing.
At GreenLight ABA, we see amazing changes through play-based learning. Kids who used to avoid other children now start games on their own. Children who had trouble sharing now work out fair trades. Kids who used to get upset about losing now high-five and want to play again.
If your child finds social interaction difficult, help is here. Our caring team in Arizona and Colorado knows how to make play a powerful learning tool. Through personalized ABA therapy services, we help children learn that playing with others can be genuinely fun.
Together, we can give your child the green light to play, connect, and build friendships that make life richer.