When people hear the word ‘play’, they often think of children running around a playground, building with blocks, or pretending to be superheroes. But what if play is just as important for adults as it is for children?
As occupational therapists working within the Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) framework, we know that meaningful activity and participation are essential throughout life. Yet, when working with adults, therapists often face a unique challenge: helping people reconnect with their ability to play.
Seeing ASI Through Three Lenses
Occupational therapists are trained to analyse activities, environments, and human participation from multiple perspectives. This becomes especially important when applying ASI principles with adults.
One useful way to understand adult ASI intervention is through a triangulated approach, consisting of:
– The therapeutic self (the therapist)
– The intervention environment
– The client
These three elements are interconnected and constantly influence one another throughout therapy.
The Therapeutic Self: More Than Just a Therapist
The therapist plays a crucial role in facilitating successful sensory integration experiences. Through careful observation, adaptation, and support, the therapist creates opportunities for adaptive responses while maintaining the “just-right challenge.”
When working with adults, however, additional considerations become important.
Unlike children, adults often require clearer boundaries, greater structure, and a more balanced therapeutic relationship. The therapist must carefully navigate familiarity and professionalism while maintaining respect and dignity.
In settings such as forensic psychiatry or mental health care, therapists may need to:
– Provide consistent encouragement
– Redirect clients who become disoriented
– Use positive feedback to promote engagement
– Adapt activities to ensure achievable success
– Consider their own sensory profiles and personal responses
The therapist’s own sensory experiences and personality can significantly influence the therapeutic process, making self-awareness essential.
Creating the Right Environment
Assessment and goal-setting remain the foundation of effective intervention.
ASI sessions should provide opportunities for clients to receive meaningful sensory input while engaging in activities that are motivating and purposeful. The environment should be:
– Safe
– Flexible
– Sensory-rich
– Encouraging of exploration
– Supportive of participation
Equipment Considerations for Adults
Working with adults introduces unique challenges regarding equipment and safety.
Adults are larger, heavier, and may require equipment specifically designed to support movement safely. Suspension equipment, for example, can provide valuable sensory experiences while reducing risk.
The development of equipment designed for use across the lifespan has greatly expanded opportunities for adult sensory integration intervention. Properly designed swings, rollers, scooter boards, and support systems allow therapists to remain faithful to ASI principles while ensuring safety (www.instsi.co.za).
The Client: Active Participation Is Essential
At the heart of ASI is the client’s active involvement.
Therapy should never be something that is simply done to a client. Instead, clients are encouraged to:
– Make choices
– Follow their interests
– Engage actively in activities
– Draw upon their own motivation
– Participate in meaningful occupations
The therapist’s role is to create opportunities that support this engagement while maintaining optimal levels of arousal and participation.
Do Adults Really Play?
One of the biggest misconceptions in therapy is that adults no longer play.
According to the National Institute for Play, play is voluntary, naturally motivated, and pleasurable. Viewed through this lens, adults engage in play far more often than many people realise.
Activities such as:
– Solving crossword puzzles
– Playing sports
– Creating art
– Gardening
– Collecting memorabilia
– Playing video games
– Writing stories
can all be forms of play.
The common thread is that these activities create enjoyment, satisfaction, and often a sense of “flow”—that feeling of becoming so engaged that time seems to disappear.
Understanding Adult Play Personalities
The National Institute for Play identifies several “play personalities” that help explain how different adults experience enjoyment and engagement.
The Collector
Finds satisfaction in gathering and organising items, memories, or experiences.
The Competitor
Thrives on challenges and competition, whether physical, intellectual, or strategic.
The Creator/Artist
Enjoys building, designing, crafting, and creating something new.
The Director
Loves organising, planning, and making things happen.
The Explorer
Is driven by curiosity, discovery, and learning.
The Joker
Finds joy in humour, laughter, and playful interactions.
The Kinesthesis
Experiences play through movement and physical activity.
The Storyteller
Uses imagination through reading, writing, storytelling, and creative expression.
Understanding a client’s play personality can provide valuable insight into what motivates them and how best to engage them in therapy.
Helping Adults Rediscover Play
Many adults have lost touch with their natural ability to play. Years of responsibility, stress, and social expectations often teach people that play is only for children.
Therapists can help adults reconnect with play by:
1. Discovering what brings joy
Ask clients what activities they genuinely enjoy.
2. Exploring Childhood Interests
If they struggle to answer, ask what they enjoyed doing as children.
3. Experimenting with new activities
Introduce activities that sound interesting or enjoyable and observe their response.
Over time, patterns emerge that reveal what naturally motivates the individual.
Why This Matters
When therapists understand how adults play, sensory integration intervention becomes much more meaningful. Play is not childish. It is a fundamental part of being human.
By embracing play, supporting choice, and creating opportunities for enjoyment, therapists can help adults engage more fully in therapy and in life itself.
Ayres Sensory Integration ® offers valuable opportunities across the lifespan. When combined with an understanding of adult play, it becomes a powerful approach that supports participation, resilience, wellbeing, and growth.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps the biggest lesson is this: adults never stop needing play—they simply express it differently.
As therapists, our role is not only to facilitate sensory integration but also to help adults rediscover activities that bring joy, purpose, and engagement. When we do that, we unlock opportunities for meaningful participation that extend far beyond the therapy room.
