World Autism Awareness Day commemorates the period set aside to develop insight and promote solutions for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although the classic therapies of applied behavior analysis (ABA), speech therapy, and occupational therapy have been the standard intervention for autism, there has been an increasing interest in a different method: play therapy. Advoctates purport that play therapy stimulates a child's intrinsic method of acquiring knowledge, supporting communication, interpersonal skills, and emotional balance more effectively than can often be provided by mainstream interventions. Is play therapy the secret ingredient of autism intervention?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts a child's capacity to communicate, socialize, and use imaginative play. Compared to neurotypical children, autistic children tend to have difficulties with pretend play and usually have a strong interest in particular activities. With these difficulties in mind, therapeutic interventions that address their needs are highly important. One of these interventions is play therapy, which is a structured but fun means of helping autistic children acquire vital life skills.

Play is the language of children, being a universal way of communication and learning. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) describes play therapy as the "systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development." (APT, 2021).

In autistic children, play therapy provides a fun and organized setting to understand feelings, rehearse social interactions, and improve communication. A professional therapist helps the child progress through play-based strategies that promote self-expression and establish healthy relationships with parents, siblings, and friends.

Why Play Therapy Works for Autistic Children?

Play therapy is especially effective for children with ASD because it works within their natural learning and interaction style. It offers a low-stress, safe space in which children can:

• Learn social skills like turn-taking and understanding nonverbal communication.
• Enhance communication through verbal and nonverbal interaction.
• Learn to regulate emotions in order to cope with frustration and anxiety.
• Develop problem-solving and cognitive flexibility.
• Decrease anxiety and build confidence in social situations.

Because autistic children tend to interact with play differently—e.g., becoming fixated on the components of a toy instead of the object as a whole or having difficulty with pretend play—therapists employ systematic methods to enable them to connect with their environment and the individuals in it.

Types of Play Therapy for Autism

Play therapy involves a variety of methods adapted to a child's individual needs. Some of the most useful types for autistic children are:

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)

CCPT emphasizes establishing a nonjudgmental and accepting environment in which children are able to express themselves spontaneously. The therapist becomes the facilitator, with the child selecting activities of play while being treated with empathy and acceptance. This creates an atmosphere of safety and trust, with children able to explore their emotions and build up social skills organically.

Structured Play Therapy

Unlike CCPT, structured play therapy involves specific activities designed to target particular developmental goals. These sessions help autistic children develop essential skills in a step-by-step manner, ensuring they feel comfortable and supported.

Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy (CBPT)

CBPT is an integration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with play therapy to assist children in identifying and managing their emotions. CBPT is particularly beneficial for children experiencing anxiety, frustration, or challenges with the adaptation to new circumstances.

Benefits of Play Therapy for Children with Autism

Enhanced Communication Skills

Play therapy allows autistic children to exercise verbal and nonverbal communication. By means of spoken language, gestures, or interactive stories, children become more at ease with self-expression.

Increased Social Interaction

Through play with a guide, children exercise basic social skills like turn-taking, sharing, and reading body language. These social skills enable them to develop more positive relationships with family members and peers.

Emotional Regulation and Coping Strategies

Play therapy provides a secure environment where children can experiment and learn to deal with their feelings. Therapists can demonstrate skills like deep breathing or the use of a "calm-down" toy to assist children in dealing with frustration and stress.

Problem-Solving and Cognitive Flexibility

Structured play activities encourage children to think creatively, adapt to new scenarios, and develop planning skills. This can be particularly helpful in improving their ability to adjust to changing routines or social expectations.

Reduced Anxiety and Increased Confidence

By providing a playful and interactive setting, play therapy makes autistic children less apprehensive about social interactions and new experiences. Gradually, this increases their confidence and readiness to interact with the world around them.

Play Therapy Activities for Autistic Children

Including therapeutic play activities at home can further increase the advantages of professional play therapy. Some ideas include:

Gross Motor Games

Obstacle Course: Create an indoor obstacle course with pillows, chairs, and painter's tape. Have your child jump, spin, and crawl through the various sections to promote coordination and sensory integration.

Tilt a Ball: Cut a hole at the bottom of a cardboard box to make a basic ball maze. Have your child tilt the box to direct the ball through the maze to develop hand-eye coordination.

Fine Motor Games

Free the Animals: Secure plastic toy animals with painter’s tape and have your child peel them off to strengthen fine motor skills.

Clay Sculpting: Use therapy putty or clay to model different shapes or animals, enhancing dexterity and creativity.

Interactive and Group Play Activities

Scavenger Hunt: Create a themed scavenger hunt to encourage problem-solving and exploration.

Ribbon Wand Dancing: Place ribbons on wooden spoons and invite dancing to music, enhancing gross motor skills and sensory awareness.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A cooperative game wherein children rock back and forth as they sing, enhancing cooperative play and rhythmic movement.

Role of Parents in Play Therapy

Parent participation is essential to the success of play therapy. By attending therapy sessions and applying learned skills in everyday life, parents can support gains and create further opportunities for development. Parents are frequently taught by therapists to use play-based strategies to facilitate communication, emotional control, and social interaction within the home environment.

Choosing the Right Play Therapy for Your Child

When selecting a play therapist, keep the following in mind:

Credentials: Seek professionals who hold a psychology, social work, or counseling degree, and play therapy certifications (e.g., Registered Play Therapist, RPT).

Experience: Opt for a therapist experienced in treating autistic children, as they will have in-depth knowledge of ASD-specific issues.

Approach: Talk to various therapy approaches to select the one that will best suit your child's needs and personality.

How Can Parents Support Play Therapy at Home?

To ensure maximum returns from play therapy, parents can:

• Encourage play learning: Integrate therapy skills into daily life.
• Design a supportive play environment: Create a quiet, stimulating area with sensory-friendly materials.
• Learn from sessions: Use therapist-recommended techniques to build on progress in the home environment.

Play therapy is an effective intervention for autistic children, providing a natural and fun means of establishing communication, social, and emotional skills. With the help of trained therapists and the integration of play-based strategies at home, parents can facilitate their children in acquiring key life skills in a fun and nurturing environment. Consulting professional services and remaining actively engaged in the therapy process ensures that autistic children get the assistance they require to flourish.

Work can often become overwhelming, you have multiple tasks to complete, meet deadlines, make sure your schedule is managed well, and ensure you are punctual. While it might be similar for most corporate employees, not everyone is able to cope with a hectic schedule and taking breaks is a good solution for this.

However, in this competitive world, it can be difficult to take breaks without raising eyebrows, so does that mean you cannot work efficiently? No, but you can try microbreak!

Microbreaks are short, frequent pauses in your day. They help you avoid sitting for too long- these breaks can be less than a minute or up to 10 minutes. The idea is to give your muscles rest, especially when doing repetitive tasks. Such short breaks will help you detach from feeling overwhelmed or stressed short without interrupting your workflow.

How Often Should You Take Breaks Between Work?

Experts recommend taking 2 to 3 minutes break every 20-30 minutes during the day. For better heart health, studies suggest taking a 5-minute break every 30 minutes is recommended. This means 25 minutes of work, followed by 5 minutes of activity. Microbreaks do not have to be always planned out, it can be something as small as taking a stroll from one part of the office to the other. You can also do stretches, breathing exercises or enjoy a light conversation. Here are some benefits of taking microbreaks:

Less Muscle Pain

Short breaks can ease muscle stiffness from sitting. While more studies are needed, I found my chronic shoulder and back pain lessened. Regular movement helps prevent prolonged discomfort.

More Energy

Quick activity breaks can fight fatigue and boost your energy. Active breaks, like walking or stretching, are more effective. I felt a noticeable increase in my energy levels throughout the workday.

Better Focus

Microbreaks improve focus, especially for routine tasks. Complex tasks might require longer breaks. Short pauses refresh the mind, helping you stay alert and productive on less demanding work.

Improved Mental Health

Even brief breaks can lower stress and enhance mental well-being. Taking a few minutes to step away from work helps clear your head and reduces feelings of overwhelm.

How to Make Microbreaks A Daily Habit?

While microbreaks can be beneficial, they could also potentially disrupt workflow, making it hard to pause when deeply focused. Microbreaks may also lead to refocusing challenges, especially for those who have difficulties with attention. Plus, fitting them into your busy schedule, particularly with meetings, can be problematic.

To make microbreaks a regular habit, set reminders and keep things interesting by varying your activities. Create an activity list, choosing breaks that match how you feel at the moment. Try to stick to your schedule but be flexible; missing a break occasionally is okay, just keep trying. This could be a great new addition to your workspace and help you find new momentum.

Being in love, having somebody you deeply care for or enjoying the company of that special someone can be a great feeling- the elevated feeling of being on cloud nine and the joy it brings people yearning for a healthy and loving relationship. Everyone claims love changes people, and there are many biological bodily changes that take place when you are in love.

Here are some ways love can change the way you are.

It Gives You a Dopamine Rush

When you fall in love, your brain gets flooded with dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel really good. Harvard Health explains that when one is in love, there is a dopamine surge throughout the body, like the pleasure you get from other enjoyable activities. It's the brain's way of rewarding you, making you want to be around that person more.

It Helps You Form Strong Bonds

Oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," helps you form strong connections with others, this hormone gets released when you feel attracted to someone. This hormone plays a big part in building relationships, helping you communicate and create good memories together. It's also important for things like childbirth and sex, strengthening the bond between partners.

It Can Impair Your Judgment

When you're in love, it's hard to see your partner's flaws. Your brain kind of ignores the negative things. Harvard Health explains that love basically deactivates the neural pathways which are responsible for negative emotions. You only see the good stuff, making your partner seem perfect. It's like your brain is wearing rose-colored glasses, focusing only on the positive aspects of the relationship.

It Affects Your Fight-or-Flight Response

That nervous feeling in your stomach, the sweaty hands, and fast heartbeat? That's your body's "fight-or-flight" response. When you fall in love, your body releases adrenaline and norepinephrine. These chemicals make your heart race and give you a burst of energy.

It Affects Your Pain Receptors

A 2010 study published in PLOS One showed that love changes the way your pain response works. In the study they gave people small heat stimulants while they looked at a picture of a loved one. This connection helps reduce physical and emotional pain. It shows how powerful love and physical contact can be, providing comfort and support during difficult times.

It Affects Your Cortisol And Anxiety Levels

Falling in love can also be stressful, experts explain that our body releases more cortisol, which can make you feel anxious. This happens because your brain is dealing with a new and intense situation. It can also cause a drop in serotonin, leading to feelings of uneasiness.

It Can Cause Impaired Decision-Making

Love can make you do things you wouldn't normally do. Strong feelings of love, especially in the initial stages, can indeed impair decision-making by influencing brain chemistry and leading to heightened emotions and reduced cognitive control. This can lead to impulsive and risky behavior, as you're less worried about the consequences.

Hailey Okula, a 33-year-old Los Angeles emergency room nurse and social media nursing influencer, sadly died on March 29, just minutes after giving birth to her first child by C-section. Popular for sharing her IVF experience and life as a nurse on social media, Hailey's life touched thousands of people. But her celebratory birth was transformed into a tragic loss when she experienced an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) and suffered cardiac arrest minutes after giving birth to her baby boy, Crew.

Hailey's husband, Matthew, announced the tragic news in a video clip uploaded to her Instagram and TikTok accounts. "She was able to see him for a split second," he remembered in an emotional interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles. "She had a little tear in her eye, and we had a little laugh. Then they said they were just wrapping up, and she'd be with us soon. Then everything changed."

What is Amniotic Fluid Embolism?

Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but devastating childbirth complication that occurs in an estimated 1 in 40,000 births, reports the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. It happens when amniotic fluid, fetal cells, or other fetal tissue enters the mother's circulation—most often during labor or delivery—causing a violent immune response. The response can lead to abrupt cardiovascular collapse, respiratory arrest, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a severe blood-clotting disorder.

Although a mother having amniotic fluid in her blood during delivery is usual, AFE is unusual because it's the overreaction of the immune system that results in a crisis. The majority are not detectable until symptoms arise, making it virtually impossible to treat at the early stages.

"AFE occurs abruptly and unpredictably. It's very difficult to treat and needs emergency medical treatment," the Mayo Clinic says.

Risks Factors related to AF

Since amniotic fluid embolism is such a rare occurrence, the exact causes have not been elucidated. Some risk factors, however, have been noted in medical literature:

• Advanced age of the mother (35+ years)
• Placenta problems, like placenta previa or placental abruption
• Preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Medically induced labor
• Excessive amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
• Forceful contractions or physical trauma during labor
• Tearing of the uterus or cervix
• Forcedps or vacuum extraction during delivery

In fact, AFE has been known to happen in both vaginal and cesarean births, and in Hailey's situation, it occurred during a C-section. Medical professionals estimate that the breakdown in the placental barrier—either from natural or surgical causes—could enable amniotic fluid to leak into the mother's circulatory system. Once there, it can cause the body's severe inflammatory reaction.

Why Amniotic Fluid Embolism is a Condition Without Warning Signs or a Cure?

Hailey's unexpected cardiac arrest was a shock to her care providers and family. Her case emphasizes the heartless truth of AFE: there's no screening test, no diagnostic testing, and no known method to prevent it. Treatment is strictly limited to emergency management—resuscitation, transfusion, and stabilizing the patient.

Unfortunately, outcomes are often grim. The maternal mortality rate ranges from 40% to 80%, and nearly 50% of deaths occur within the first hour. Survivors may face lifelong complications, including neurological damage due to lack of oxygen during cardiac arrest.

Hailey's husband was abruptly faced with the unimaginable—whether to stay with his wife, now critically ill, or his new son. "Not the choice I imagined that I would make," he said, remembering the moment when he discovered doctors were giving Hailey CPR.

While amniotic fluid embolism is largely fatal for mothers, about 70% of babies are delivered safely if immediate emergency measures are taken. The key factor is time. Medical teams must act within minutes to increase the odds of survival for both mother and baby.

What Causes Amniotic Fluid Embolism?

Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) occurs when amniotic fluid, fetal cells, or other debris enters the mother's bloodstream, triggering a severe allergic-like reaction. This can result in catastrophic heart and lung failure as well as abnormal blood clotting. Although the cause is not yet certain, it has been thought to be due to a failure of the placental barrier, usually secondary to trauma during labor or delivery. Risk factors include advanced maternal age, placental abnormalities, preeclampsia, induced labor, or cesarean section. But AFE is unusual and unavoidable, occurring in about 1 in 40,000 deliveries, and can't be averted or forecast with accuracy.

With Hailey, Crew survived and now stands as the only surviving product of a mom who battled long-term infertility, heroically seeking to deliver him into this world. "We wanted this so badly," wrote Matthew in an impassioned Instagram tribute, reflecting on the IVF struggle shared by the couple. I will never forget the day I collapsed apologizing for how much the [IVF] process would affect her. She looked at me and said, 'We are a team.' That was Hailey. A woman who would do anything for the people she loved.

Hailey Okula's untimely death has shed new light on the risks of AFE—a condition even some doctors are not familiar with because it is so rare. As a public figure and ER nurse, Hailey was well-known for speaking out about awareness of women's health and infertility, openly and honestly sharing her IVF journey with her audience.

With the resources of world-class medical technology, no mother should ever die giving life to new life. Still, complications such as amniotic fluid embolism indicate that childbirth is still dangerous—even for healthy, well-tested pregnancies. With the maternal mortality rate still on the increase in most corners of the globe, we owe it to mothers like Hailey to invest in research, education, and quicker emergency response protocols.