Play is a vehicle for growth, learning and development.  For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), play can be difficult. To help enhance and develop your child’s play experiences, here are some tips, benefits & strategies used to engage children with ASD.

Understanding the characteristics of play:

• Play is voluntary
• Play is motivating
• Play is symbolic
• Play is meaningful
• Play is transforming
• Play is pleasurable
• Play is governed by implied or set rules

Play allows children to:

• Choose freely their activity of interest
• Be free of demands or expectation
• Make connections to their current world through past experiences
• Have the ability to take on other roles
• Explore
• Experiment
• Investigate
• Inquire with and about people, objects or events
• Create or change rules

Parent tips/strategies to engage & enhance positive play experiences for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder:

• Respect children’s preferences for particular area of the room
• Respect need for personal space
• Respect ability to tolerate others in an activity
• Keep experiences familiar to child
• Gradually extend the child’s comfort level with others, objects and types of play
• Create clear physical boundaries when outdoors
• Model how to use each toy & piece of equipment if needed
• Create a lower-stress environment 
• Use your child’s interests/passions
• Do not focus on the end product. Enjoy the process of playing
• Follow your child’s lead
• Do not rush the experience
• Limit verbalization; use gestures
• Model for your child as needed. Encourage turn taking, interactions and sharing
• Create a comfortable environment
• Allow time for your child to think and do
• Allow time for problem solving
• Do not do for your child what they can do for themselves; let them be independent as much as possible
• Play at your child’s level

Most of all HAVE FUN!!!!
-Jacqueline M. DiJoseph, Teacher, Celebrate the Children

First, I would like to announce that my wife and I are expecting our second child this coming February! With this exciting news comes familiar feelings and questions we both experienced with our first child: Can we handle this? What will the expenses be? Who will this child end up growing up to be? Parents unwillingly and sometimes uncontrollably have pre-existing expectations for their child even before holding them for the first time in the hospital. We forecast who and what they will be, almost like how a coach game plans for a sporting event even before the first play has occurred.  However, in life as in sporting events, things can change in a blink of an eye that sets our voyage on a completely different course.

As I was navigating through social media a few months ago, I came upon a video by a man named Jason Hague. Jason is a pastor, writer, and blogger who has a busy life full of many of the same things we keep busy with as well. He also has a son with Autism. In his video, Jason reads a poem to his son which gives a glimpse into the inner world of their relationship. Without going into the whole video, the most important aspect to take away is something we should all share as parents with children, whether typical or on the spectrum; they are works of creation that we need to show unconditional love and acceptance. Please visit jasonhague.com and watch “A Reflection of Aching Joy” (A poem for Jack).
-Joe DeVore, Teacher, Celebrate the Children
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October is National Physical Therapy Month and as a profession we are celebrating the change of seasons and establishing new habits.  As we “Move Forward” we encourage everyone to create their own playlist to staying healthy.  Small changes make a big difference. 

Here is our short playlist:
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1). Choose water as a drink- Eight, 8 ounce glasses of water is the recommended daily amount.

2). Eat more fruits and vegetables- The USDA recommends 1-2 cups a day.

3). Pick Healthy snacks- choose a granola bar instead of a candy bar, choose air popped popcorn instead of buttered, choose yogurt instead of pudding.

4). Turn off the Electronic devices- The average 8 year old is on a screen for 8 hours a day exceeding the American Pediatric Associations recommended 2 hours a day.

5). Be more physically active- 60 minutes of physical activity is recommended per day.

-Physical Therapy Department, Celebrate the Children

​Ten years ago I had the privilege of being the principal at Celebrate the Children.  We were still at Byram and Linden and the school was just starting to really grow.  After leaving for 6 years to have my children, I returned to CTC as a supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction.  I will never forget the first time I came to the Denville campus and saw the brand new school.  What a difference from where the school first started.  The school was so much bigger with a lot more students.  Monica and Lauren took me on a tour and I was amazed! All of Monica and Lauren's ideas had finally come true.  Though the building changed and the students changed (some were just little 3 years old when I left) the philosophy of CTC was still very evident. Celebrate the Children believes in their students and cares about each and every one of them.  I loved working here ten years ago and I feel the same today. At the end of last year, I once again became the principal of CTC and I am honored to be in this position.  Celebrate the Children is an amazing place to work with an incredibly hard working staff that come in each day ready to make a difference in a child's life.  
​-Trinka Sullivan, Principal, Celebrate the Children