Using Play Therapy to Tackle Autism Spectrum Disorder

As a project manager at Co-op Financial Services, Jessica Rieper is in charge of bank platform data conversion, as well as phone app, credit, and debit conversions. Outside of work, Jessica Rieper runs a food blog and a Facebook page for her son who has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The page aims to raise awareness about autism and how to treat it.

Play therapy is one of the many available options for therapy for children with ASD. The aim is to increase the child’s capacity to connect with adults and kids. Floortime is one of the most common methods of play therapy. In floortime, an adult, a parent or a therapist, plays with the kid on his or her terms. During the play, the adult introduces new words to encourage communication and motivate the child to focus.

Another type of play therapy is called integrated playgroups, wherein children with ASD are assimilated with kids without ASD. Groups are small, typically three to five kids. The goal is to improve social skills and the child's ability to play with other children.

The third type of play therapy is called Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation (JASPER). Among other things, JASPER helps the children with ASD by increasing their focus capacity, improving their engagement, and encouraging them to speak more with children and adults around them.

Five Phases of Lean Six Sigma

Following a stint with the Global Atlantic Financial Group, project manager Jessica Rieper joined Co-Op Financial Services. As part of her professional development, Jessica Rieper has taken several courses on performance improvement and project management approaches, such as SCRUM and Lean Six Sigma.

Lean Six Sigma blends principles from two continuous improvement techniques. While Lean is based on a four-part method, Six Sigma analyzes process efficiency using a cyclical, five-step approach. During the first step, the problem or issue is defined. Other metrics such as timelines or potential resources are also outlined. Step two is collecting data to quantify the problem.

Once the issue can be measured with numbers, it bcomes easier to track improvements. In the analyze phase, the root causes of the problem are investigated. This informs the next step, which involves developing and implementing solutions. Effective solutions are then sustained and monitored during the final control phase. If other issues arise, the cycle can be implemented once again.