It's not about the toys....autistic play

What If We’ve Been Misreading Autistic Play?

You might have seen it…—or experienced it yourself.

Doing the same thing over and over.Lining things up.Dropping, spinning, repeating.

And somewhere along the way, many of us were taught:

👉 “That’s not functional.”

👉 “We need to redirect that.”

👉 “That’s not how play is supposed to look.”

But what if that’s not the full picture?

What Looks Repetitive Might Be Meaningful

From an autistic perspective, play often has a purpose that isn’t always obvious from the outside.

That repetition might be:

• Exploring cause and effect

• Experiencing sensory input (movement, sound, texture, visual patterns)

• Organizing and understanding the environment

• Regulating the body and emotions

👉 It’s not random. It’s responsive.

And when we shift how we see it…we open the door to connection.

In this week's conversation, Susan and Staci are joined by Tara, an autistic Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant who is passionate about play. Listen and explore autistic play across perspectives—from autistic adults to professionals—and break down:

✔ Why repetitive play matters

✔ What’s happening beneath the surface

✔ How to join play without taking over

✔ Simple ways to build connection through what’s already happening

👉 Watch the full video below....

✨ For a limited time, take 20% off our play courses with code: PLAY20

Don’t miss this limited-time opportunity to learn how to turn play into connection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx3Nekk4TZo