#170: Exploratory Play Is Not a Problem to Fix

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of understanding exploratory play as a developmental stage rather than a behavior problem for young autistic children.

In this episode, we continue the play series with an important reframe for educators, therapists, and caregivers: Exploratory play is not a problem to fix. It is a stage to understand. When a child dumps toys, spins wheels, mouths objects, drops items, or repeats the same action over and over, it can be easy for adults to feel pressure to stop it. But what if the behavior isn't the problem? This episode explores why exploratory play is a foundational stage of development, especially for young autistic children, and how repetitive sensory-driven play often supports regulation, motor planning, focused attention, and early cause-and-effect learning. Instead of rushing children into more "functional" play, we'll walk through how to understand the sensory and developmental purpose behind exploratory play and how to gently shape it into the next stage without removing what already feels safe. This conversation is especially helpful for classrooms and therapy spaces where dumping, dropping, spinning, and repetitive object play can feel chaotic but are actually providing important information to the child's nervous system. In This Episode, You'll Learn • Why exploratory play is a real…

People in this episode

Host: Tara Phillips

Topics covered

• exploratory play
• autistic children
• developmental stages
• sensory-driven play
• motor planning
• early learning

Keywords

• exploratory play
• autism
• development
• sensory play
• repetitive behavior
• motor skills
• child development

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• #167: Mini-Schedules: The Visual Support You're Probably Missing · March 24, 2026 · 10 min