Written by Katie Curran, MAPP

In conversations about autism and well-being, play is often misunderstood or overlooked entirely.

Too often, play is framed as a childhood activity, a break from “real” learning, or something to be earned after more productive work is done. For autistic individuals, this perspective can be especially limiting.

But play is not a reward. It is a biological, psychological, and social need (Brown, 2009; National Institute for Play, n.d.).

Across the lifespan, play supports emotional regulation, sensory integration, creativity, connection, and meaning. For autistic and neurodivergent people, play can be one of the most accessible and authentic pathways to well-being when we give permission for it to exist on their terms.

What Do We Mean by Play?

Play is often narrowly defined as pretend games, sports, or social interaction. Yet research and lived experience tell a broader story.

According to the National Institute for Play, play is a state of mind as much as an activity that is voluntary, intrinsically motivated, flexible, and pleasurable (National Institute for Play, n.d.). Stuart Brown, M.D., describes play as a biological drive, as fundamental to human development as sleep or attachment. In Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, Brown documents how play shapes neural development, supports emotional resilience, and contributes to lifelong well-being (Brown, 2009).

For autistic individuals, play may look different from neurotypical expectations:

• Repetitive movement or pattern-based play
• Deep engagement with a special interest
• Sensory exploration (spinning, lining up objects, water play)
• Solitary or parallel play rather than social pretend play
• Creative play rooted in systems, facts, or structure

These forms of play are not deficits. They are expressions of regulation, joy, and self-directed learning (Pellicano & Heyworth, 2023).

Play, the Brain, and Regulation

Neuroscience research consistently shows that play supports brain development, flexibility, and emotional regulation (Lillard et al., 2013; Brown, 2009). Large-scale reviews highlight the role of play in shaping neural systems related to motivation, stress regulation, and social cognition.

For autistic individuals who often experience heightened sensory input, anxiety, or cognitive load, play can be a powerful regulatory tool. Engaging in preferred play activities has been shown to:

• Reduce stress and physiological arousal
• Support executive functioning and flexibility
• Increase positive affect and engagement
• Create conditions for learning without coercion (Uljarević et al., 2018)

Rather than asking autistic people to regulate before they can play, play itself can be the mechanism through which regulation becomes possible.

Reframing Play in Autism

Historically, autism interventions have often treated play as something to be normalized and redirected toward socially typical forms or used primarily as a teaching strategy. While skill-building has value, this approach can unintentionally strip play of its intrinsic benefits.

Emerging autism research challenges this deficit-based framing (Pellicano & Heyworth, 2023). Studies emphasize the importance of autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and respect for neurodivergent ways of engaging with the world. When play is self-chosen and pressure-free, it supports well-being rather than compliance.

Recent research in autism and mental health underscores that well-being is not defined by conformity, but by access to environments that support authenticity, agency, and belonging. Play, especially when it honors sensory and cognitive differences, meets all three.

Play Across the Lifespan

Play does not end in childhood. Yet autistic adolescents and adults are often discouraged from play-based activities, particularly those that appear repetitive, solitary, or unconventional.

Adult play may include:

• Immersive hobbies and collections
• Creative arts, music, or writing
• Movement-based play like hiking, swimming, or stimming through dance
• Digital play, gaming, or world-building
• Nature-based exploration

Research on adult well-being shows that play supports mental health, creativity, and meaning-making across the lifespan (Brown, 2009; Frost, 2012). For autistic adults, play can be a refuge from chronic stress and a source of identity-affirming joy.

Denying play contributes to burnout, anxiety, and disconnection (Uljarević et al., 2018; Pellicano & Heyworth, 2023). Granting permission to play is a well-being intervention.

Permission Is a Systems Issue

Play is an individual choice and is shaped by environments.

When schools prioritize compliance over curiosity, when therapy schedules crowd out free exploration, or when workplaces stigmatize playful engagement, autistic individuals receive a clear message: Your joy is less important than productivity.

A well-being-centered approach asks different questions:

• Do our classrooms allow for movement, sensory breaks, and interest-based learning?
• Do our therapies protect time for self-directed play?
• Do our communities value play as a legitimate adult pursuit?

Inclusive systems recognize that play is how nervous systems reset, how brains integrate experience, and how people reconnect with themselves.

Play as a Well-Being Skill

At Proof Positive: Autism Wellbeing Alliance, permission to play is recognized as a core well-being skill (Proof Positive, n.d.). Like mindfulness, movement, or sleep, play can be learned, protected, and practiced intentionally.

This means:

• Valuing play for its own sake
• Following autistic interests rather than redirecting them
• Creating low-demand, high-choice environments
• Recognizing play as regulation, not avoidance
• Supporting play at every age

When autistic individuals are given permission to play freely and without judgment, well-being follows.

Toward a More Playful Definition of Flourishing

Well-being science is expanding, but it still risks overlooking play as one of its foundations.

For autistic and neurodivergent people, play offers something rare: a space where authenticity, regulation, and joy can coexist without the pressure to perform, conform, or translate that joy into productivity.

If flourishing is defined as the ability to live well on one’s own terms, then an essential question remains: What does flourishing look like when play is protected, valued, and taken seriously across the lifespan?

Perhaps the question is not whether we can afford more play in our definitions of well-being, but whether we can afford to keep leaving it out.

Katie Curran, MAPP, is the Chief Well-Being Officer at Proof Positive: Autism Wellbeing Alliance, which is dedicated to bringing the science and skills of happiness to the autism community.