BOTH Discount: 504 Plans & Using Board Games

This is to sign up for both courses taking place on June 26. You can sign up for only one course on a different link under Contact Trainings.

Morning Session: 504 Plans vs. IEPs: What Play Therapists Need to Know to Support Students in Schools

Starts at 9:00 am

Break: 10:30am-10:45 am

Ends at 12:15 pm

Presenter: Hannah Holcomb, LPC, RPT™

Course Description

Play therapists frequently work with children who receive school-based support, yet the distinction between Section 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is often unclear. This course provides play therapists with a clear, practical overview of the differences between 504 Plans and IEPs, including legal foundations, eligibility criteria, types of services provided, and how each impacts a child’s educational experience. Emphasis is placed on the play therapist’s role in collaboration, documentation, advocacy, and ethical communication with families and school teams. Participants will leave better equipped to support clients navigating educational accommodations and special education services.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1.Differentiate between Section 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including their legal foundations and purposes, and articulate how these frameworks intersect with play therapy theories and school-based mental health supports.

2.Identify eligibility criteria for 504 Plans and IEPs, recognizing common developmental, emotional, and behavioral presentations frequently encountered in play therapy practice that may qualify a child for school-based services.

3.Explain the accommodations, services, and protections provided under 504 Plans and IEPs, and evaluate how play therapy techniques and interventions may complement or support these educational plans.

4.Define the role of the play therapist in supporting children with 504 Plans and IEPs, including collaboration with school personnel, consultation with caregivers, and integration of play therapy skills within multidisciplinary teams.

5.Apply knowledge of 504 Plans and IEPs to play therapy treatment planning, including writing goals that align with school supports, advocating for developmentally appropriate interventions, and empowering families through a play therapy-informed framework.

6.Recognize ethical and professional considerations when interfacing with school systems, including documentation practices, communication boundaries, scope of play therapy practice, and adherence to relevant legal and ethical standards.

Afternoon Session: Using Board Games with Ethical Considerations in Play Therapy

Begins at 1:15pm

Break 2:45pm to 3:00 pm

Ends at 4:30pm

Course Description

Using Board Games with Ethical Considerations in Play Therapy examines the intentional and ethically sound integration of board games into play therapy practice. Board games can serve as powerful therapeutic tools to support emotional regulation, social skill development, frustration tolerance, and relational connection. However, their use requires thoughtful clinical decision-making grounded in ethical standards and developmentally appropriate practice.

This course explores ethical considerations relevant to the selection, adaptation, and implementation of board games in play therapy, including issues of competence, cultural responsiveness, informed consent, confidentiality, therapeutic boundaries, and treatment planning. Participants will examine practical strategies for intentional game selection and modification while applying ethical decision-making models to common clinical scenarios.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1.Identify ethical considerations related to the use of board games in play therapy practice.

2.Demonstrate strategies for intentionally selecting and adapting board games to align with treatment goals and developmental needs.

3.Apply established ethical decision-making models to clinical scenarios involving the use of board games in play therapy.