The developing Right to Play project

Celebrating neurodivergent play

Salford Educational Psychology Service champions children’s Right to Play (UNCRC, Article 31) and diversity within play. All forms of play are valuable and bring benefits to the person both in the moment and longer term.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Naomi Fisher advocates for neurodiversity to be understood as a difference not a disorder; human brains minds are all diverse and unique in their own ways. Applied to play, Kerry Murphy (an independent early years trainer) challenges the idea that there is an ‘optimal way to play’. Kerry urges adults to be open minded during play and challenge conventional perceptions about what play looks like. All children should have access to play richness, and the opportunity to play in a way that the child chooses, owns and controls. Researcher Carmel Conn researches autistic adult autobiographies, encouraging reflection on childhood play, and identified some shared cultural features that autistic children might share. This includes:

-Strong sensory experiences of play (e.g. exploring colour, light, pattern, smell, movement);

-Pretending, in ways that might involve order and predictability;

-Socialising (e.g. getting to know someone as a physical or sensory presence) and sharing experiences with others 'on the same wavelength'.

-       The PEDAL research team identified that some children may seek solitary play as self-regulation when feeling overwhelmed. They also discussed how social play may differ, e.g. some children may find social play most enjoyable by sitting next to someone, drawing, chatting, looking at each other’s drawings. It’s important to think about how we respect play preferences in our interactions with children (e.g. for sensory, repetitive, solitary play) as these play types might enable a child to regulate and experience a state of flow.

Additional relevant links:

A guide to neurodiversity in the early years | Anna Freud

Double empathy problem | Autism Barriers to Education

Microsoft Word - EPS position statement - RtP.docx (theburydirectory.co.uk)

An example of some important play provision changes made by Lower Kersal Primary School, Salford

Lower Kersal Primary School staff participated in the Right to Play training in 2022 and have shared how they have made positive changes to improving children’s access to their right to play. We know that it is helpful to consider three interdependent aspects of play (time, space and permission), and this school has made changes with all three.

What school did and why

In response to children’s missed opportunities for imaginative play during the Covid-19 pandemic, they invested in outdoor play resources (loose parts materials such as barrels, prams, construction resources, masks, and dressing up materials, etc). They designated an area of the playground for creative imaginative play, where children have choice and control. This is now separate to a sports yard in order to recognise and promote opportunities for different types of play without privileging one over another.

They have increased the opportunity for outdoor play through making lunchtimes more flexible. They have also reintroduced a longer afternoon break for the whole school rather than only for Key Stage 1.

Impact so far

The school is currently in the early stages, however, they have already noticed the impact. They are observing:

-Improved behaviour on the playground and in class;

-Lots of deep engagement in imaginative play that children can talk to adults about;

-Increased enjoyment at breaks and lunchtimes.

School staff are continuing to monitor the impact and make changes as appropriate going forward. If anyone would like to contact the school, they are happy to support others where they can: [email protected]