The Magic of Play:
Non-Verbal and Intersubjective Experience in Play

  • Presenter: Jen Dulz, MS, OTR/L
  • Level: Intermediate.
  • Contact Hours: 1.5
  • AOTA Areas: Context and Environment Process: Intervention
  • Audience: Occupational therapists, OT assistants, Physical therapists, PT assistants, Speech and language therapists, Parents, and Educators.
  • Completion Requirements: To earn contact hours for this course participants must view this course in its entirety, and successfully complete the accompanying course quiz
Write your awesome label here.
Course overview

Play is a child’s occupation and it is also important for adults; they just call it leisure or recreation.

This webinar examines why play is important and explores the neuroscientific foundations of play including identifying signals of safety/safeness, the hardwiring of play circuitry in the brain, the impact of play on developing brains, and regulation during play. The components of the moment of play, that moment when you lose track of time because you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing, are also explored. We investigates a specific form of play, rough and tumble play, in various clinical settings including via telehealth. Clinical application of play in diverse populations is also discussed.

This course utilizes a PowerPoint presentation. Slides are available for download.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course the learner will be able to:

Describe 4 neuroscientific components of play    

Identify 3 signals of the moment of play and how to recreate it

Describe 3 clinical applications of play

Jen Dulz, MS, OTR/L
 Jen is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist. She earned her Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. Jen has extensive experience evaluating and treating infants, children, teens, families and adults within the home, school, clinic, and camp settings. She currently serves as a staff occupational therapist, mentor, and specialty coordinator in the area of auditory interventions. She has completed the Sensory Integration Certification Program (SIPT) and is a certified provider of Therapeutic Listening as well as Integrated Listening Systems. Additionally, Jen has training in DIR/Floortime, manual therapies, Kinesiotaping, trauma-informed practice, and visual-vestibular treatment techniques. Jen is passionate about play as well as her relationships with her clients and their families. Outside of work, Jen enjoys kayaking, hiking, backcountry camping, and silent retreats.

Continuing Education:
ADA/Section 504: If you require special accommodations, please contact courses@thespiralfoundation.org
Cancellation Policies: Available here

Write your awesome label here.