AuDHD Flourishing 125 Autistic Play Saves Lives with Max Alexander
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Dec 27, 2025 Max Alexander, an artist and play worker specializing in neuro-affirming play for autistic individuals, dives into the transformative power of play. He shares insights on how play can heal trauma and instill resilience, emphasizing its importance for both children and adults. Max introduces eight distinctive shapes of autistic play and discusses the significance of instinctual, repetitive, and imaginative play. With a focus on emotional connections to objects and the concept of play as resistance, he encourages listeners to embrace playful exploration in adulthood.
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Play As An Innate Mode Of Relating
- Play is an instinctual mode of relating that adults often lose when taught to ignore their instincts.
- Max Alexander frames play as crucial for emotional regulation, resilience, and identity, not just childhood fun.
Concept-Jamming And Play As Protection
- Mattia described doing intense concept-jamming alone because others rarely matched their intensity.
- They also reflected that childhood play protected them during neglect and felt therapeutic in adulthood.
Respond To Distressing Play With Grounded Attention
- Pay close, nonjudgmental attention when a child engages in dark or repetitive play and act as a grounded, safe adult in the space.
- Use observation and collaboration with caregivers to decide if intervention or further support is needed.
