Playful Therapy Connections

06/23/2026

The theory of the double empathy problem is a psychological and sociological theory first coined in 2012 by Damian Milton, an autistic autism researcher. The Double Empathy Problem challenges the assumption that empathy is a one-way street, emphasising the importance of reciprocal understanding in social interactions. People of different world and life experiences will struggle to understand each other because of a difference in expectation, processing and perception.

06/17/2026

Is being neurodiversity affirming enough or do we need to be neurodiversity responsive?

A neurodiversity aware person asks:

“What is neurodiversity?”

A neurodiversity affirming person asks:

“How can I respect and support neurodivergent people?”

A neurodiversity responsive person asks:

“What barriers exist, who benefits from current dominant norms and systems, what assumptions and biases do I hold, whose needs and perspectives are being centred or excluded and what needs to change within the system for inclusion and collective liberation?”

Inspired by culturally responsive frameworks, you can read more about neurodiversity responsive here:

https://www.livedexperienceeducator.com/blog/from-neurodiversity-affirming-to-neurodiversity-responsive

06/09/2026

Compliance at any cost is NOT building resilience. It's harm deflecting its own accountability.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

06/03/2026

Some things to keep in mind as summer approaches! 💛🏖

Photo Description:
Beach background at night. At the top of the page are water waves. At the bottom is beachgrass. On the left are footprints in the sand that shows an owl was hopping. At the top left corner is a barn owl's back where the footprints stop. She stops right in front of the water. At the upper right corner is her head faded with an open mouth showing that she's speaking. At the top in cyan blue text reads, "Summertime Tips From An Autistic". Below using the footprints as bullet points in altering teal and purple text reads:
•"As school gets out, many of our routines will be changed. Allow room to develop new ones.
•Spontaneous hangouts could cause meltdowns. Plan in advance when possible.
•Big vacation trips can be overwhelming. Give us plenty of time to plan and prepare.
•More visiting means more burnout. More burnout means more recovery time is needed."

06/02/2026

Happy Pride!!

Exactly.

05/27/2026

Voting ends soon, so cast your nominations today!

Nominations are open through May 31. Vote daily and help us recognize the businesses that make the DMV a great place to raise a family.

05/19/2026

Play comes in so many forms. Sometimes it even comes with spreadsheets!

I love games that require charts, and micromanaging, and resource management. I was one of those weird kids who played Sim City on the SNES back in the 90s. Those kinds of games just tickle my brain just right.

Please like, share and follow! It really helps support me!

[Image description: A three panel comic of Honeydew making charts for a game they're playing. The comic is titled "Spreadsheet Game" and is made by Theresa Scovil.

Panel 1:
Honeydew has a mischievous smile as they type on their laptop. Their partner, Ky, leans in and asks "Whatcha working on?"
Panel 2:
Honeydew stops typing and says "Making spreadsheets for the new game I've been playing."
Panel 3:
Ky looks to the audience and points back to Honeydew saying "You know they love a game when they bust out the spreadsheets."]

05/14/2026

Just a reminder: This workshop is tomorrow, May 15th!

Join our event on Friday, May 15th at 11:00 am in Rockville, Maryland! Enjoy brunch, learn and meet other parents & professionals.

05/13/2026

Voting closes this week, May 14th, so cast your vote today!

05/06/2026

Nominations are officially open for Washington Parent Picks! Throughout the month of May, Washington Parent Picks opens nominations that allow families to shine light on community resources and businesses that benefit the D.C. metro area.

Every voter is able to write in 1 nomination per day, per category throughout the entire month of May. After this month, the top nominations will move into the final voting round beginning July 1st.

To cast your daily nominations, visit: https://picks.washingtonparent.com/

Playful Therapy Connections is so grateful to be part of this community and would appreciate your support of nominations in the following categories:

Children with Learning & Other Differences:
- Autism Spectrum Resources
- Outreach & Training

Parent Education & Support:
- Coaching & Resources
- Parent Support Groups

Schools and Education:
- Educational Assessment & Testing

Staying Healthy:
- Mental Health MD, DC, & VA

Nominations are open through May 31. Vote daily and help us recognize the businesses that make the DMV a great place to raise a family.