LEGO® Brick Based Therapy

Professional LEGO® brick based therapy (previously referred to as LEGO® therapy or LEGO® based therapy) is an evidence based, research informed intervention that uses structured LEGO® play to build social communication collaboration, and problem solving skills in small groups. Sessions are delivered by qualified health, education and care professionals who are trained to follow the respected therapeutic model.

It was first developed in the mid 1990s by paediatric neuropsychologist, Dr Daniel LeGoff, after observing two autistic children in his waiting room engage in rich, meaningful social interaction while building with LEGO® bricks.

Therapy Matters is proud to be the Australian International Training Partner with Play Included®, a worldwide leader in LEGO® therapy, to bring their internationally acclaimed Brick-by-Brick® program to Australia. Our goal is to support high quality, neurodiversity affirming practice and equip Australian therapists and teachers to deliver collaborative brick play with fidelity, confidence, and integrity. Ultimately, we aim to improve the lives, relationships, and wellbeing of neurodivergent children because providing meaningful support truly matters.

Play Included® is the only organisation in the world to be endorsed by the LEGO Foundation and exclusively permitted through its certified facilitators to use the official term LEGO® brick based therapy.

What We Offer

For Children

We provide “Brick Clubs” which are fun, supportive, small group programs for neurodivergent children.

For Professionals

  • LEGO® brick based therapy training online is available now through our certified facilitator pathway.
  • Advanced training in person with Therapy Matters is arriving in Australia from 2027.

During our comprehensive training programs, participants learn directly from leaders in the field, including Dr Gina Gómez de la Cuesta, the Clinical Psychologist who authored the original LEGO® brick based therapy manual. The Brick-by-Brick® program is grounded in the latest research and shaped by neurodivergent consultants, ensuring meaningful and authentic outcomes for children.

About LEGO® Brick Based Therapy Programs

Run by trained facilitators, Brick Club supports social and emotional wellbeing in preschoolers to adolescents who enjoy building LEGO® models. While it was originally developed with autistic children in mind, it can also be beneficial in supporting children with ADHD, Developmental Language Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, anxiety, and social difficulties.

The strategies can be adapted to a wide range of ages, strengths, needs, cultures, and contexts. They address goals that support children to celebrate their identity, collaborate, communicate, problem solve, build, create, and share fun experiences all through collaborative LEGO® play.

Brick Club groups run by qualified education and allied health professionals with Certified Facilitator Training by Play Included® are able to support NDIS participants under the Improved Daily Living category. This applies as long as the intervention is aligned to published research to achieve individual participant goals as part of goal directed, therapeutic intervention.

About Brick-by-Brick® Facilitator Training

Play Included® has developed online and in person training pathways for professionals wishing to deliver their Brick-by-Brick® program in Australia. Just like LEGO® bricks, these program training courses build on one another to help build your skills and confidence in running Brick Clubs that support children’s social and emotional development.

It all starts with the LEGO® brick based therapy training online certified facilitator course, which is the perfect introduction to running Brick Clubs and making a positive difference.

The next step is the Advanced Facilitator in person course, which is coming to Australia in 2027. This is where you will dive into hands-on, experiential learning, gaining deeper insights and practical strategies to get the best possible outcomes for the children you work with.

Certified Facilitator Training

Ready to make a real impact and begin making a difference one brick at a time? Begin your professional development with the engaging, self paced LEGO® brick based therapy training online course and unlock the power of the Brick-by-Brick® program. Led by Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta and Dr Elinor Brett, this course is packed with practitioner led videos, interactive examples, quizzes, and fun activities to guide you every step of the way.

What You Will Learn

  • Program Overview: Understand the clinical and theoretical foundations of LEGO® based therapy.
  • Autism and Neurodiversity: Gain insights directly from autistic consultants to better support neurodiverse children.
  • Learning Through Play: Discover how to nurture social and emotional development with advice from the LEGO Foundation.
  • Theoretical Background: Dive into the evidence based methods behind the Brick-by-Brick® approach.
  • Running Brick Clubs: Learn practical, hands on strategies to facilitate Brick Clubs for children with diverse needs.
  • Playful Facilitation: Master techniques to spark meaningful social interactions in your Brick Clubs.

Why Choose This Course

Our comprehensive LEGO® brick based therapy training is suitable for qualified allied health, education, and care professionals. This includes psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers, social workers, counsellors, play therapists, and other mental health professionals.

When you enrol, you will join a vibrant community of facilitators from around the world, get exclusive access to helpful resources, and participate in regular drop in sessions with the Play Included® team. Once you have completed the training, you can list your profile on the official Register of Practitioners.

Required Investment

Your professional investment in becoming a Certified Facilitator through Therapy Matters and Play Included® is $450+GST. This includes a one year Play Included® membership that you can elect to renew annually at the cost of $110.

*GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE for 5+ registrants or more. Contact us for details and invoicing at workshops@therapymatters.com.au

The time needed to complete the online e learning training is 6 to 8 hours. Once registered, you have 12 weeks to complete the course.

Once you have completed the online training and independently gathered your preferred LEGO® bricks, you will have everything you need to start running Brick Clubs through your membership on the Play Included® portal:

  • Use the high quality resources available on the portal to support your Brick Clubs together with the toolkit to help you communicate and promote your services.
  • Become a member of the worldwide Facilitator Community and access monthly drop in sessions with a training practitioner.
  • Add yourself to the Register of Practitioners and list your Brick Clubs in the portal.
  • Gain access to a monitoring tool that enables you to track the progress of children in your Brick Clubs and share the information with parents.

Advanced Facilitator Training

Elevate your brick play facilitation skills with advanced clinical insights. Ready to take your LEGO® brick based therapy training Australia pathway to the next level? Our Advanced Facilitator Training is a dynamic, full day in person course designed for those looking to deepen their capabilities in running Brick Clubs, whether you are just starting or already gaining experience.

Through hands-on, play based learning with one of our approved trainers, you will gain fresh ideas, practical strategies, and new tools to enhance your sessions. This course builds on your Certified Facilitator knowledge, equipping you with the confidence to facilitate impactful, engaging experiences for children.

As a Play Included® Certified Advanced Facilitator, you will receive access to enhanced resources. You will also be able to upgrade your status to Advanced Certified Facilitator on the Play Included® Register of Practitioners, and attend Advanced Facilitator drop in events.

Therapy Matters is taking expressions of interest from health, education and care professionals who are interested in an Australian Advanced Facilitator course for expected delivery in 2027. Completion of the Play Included® Certified Facilitator online course is a prerequisite.

Who Can Be a Certified Facilitator

Our LEGO® brick based therapy based training is perfect for anyone qualified as a health, education, or care professional who is excited about using LEGO® play to make a difference. If you are ready to run Brick Clubs and bring kids together through the power of play, this training is for you.

Requirements for Leading Brick Clubs

Why Choose Play Included® for Your Australian Training

  • Endorsed by the LEGO Foundation: Play Included® is the only training program worldwide backed by the LEGO Foundation and the only organisation authorised to use the term LEGO® brick based therapy. This ensures high quality, evidence informed training for all.
  • Led by Global Authorities: Training is developed and delivered by Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta, Clinical Psychologist and author of the original LEGO® brick based therapy manual, together with a diverse group of International Training Partners across the globe.
  • Research Leaders: Play Included® conducts ongoing research and evaluation with industry partners and uses this learning to provide new resources and updates to the growing community of facilitators.
  • Neurodiversity Affirming and Play Informed: Courses are co created with neurodivergent colleagues and consultants together with play specialists from the LEGO Foundation, ensuring inclusive, strengths based, research aligned learning.
  • Engaging Learning: Short modules, videos, activities, and quizzes make the 6 to 8 hour e learning course fun, practical, and easy to follow.
  • Ongoing Support: Members gain access to international facilitator forums, up to date resources, free monthly professional development, and Q&A sessions.
  • Global Reach: The Brick-by-Brick® program operates in over 26 countries, reflecting its flexibility, inclusivity, and relevance for diverse cultural and learning contexts.
  • Growing Australian Network: As certified facilitator numbers grow, Therapy Matters will offer in person Advanced Facilitator Training from 2027 and work together with Play Included® to develop resources tailored for Australia. With over 30 years of trusted speech pathology care on the Gold Coast grounded in neurodiversity affirming practice, we are excited to expand our Brick Club expertise into high quality facilitator education.

More Information

Check out the Play Included® website for more information. There you will find case studies showing how the Brick-by-Brick® program is used around the world, including in Australia.

There is also a free webinar which will give you more information about the Brick-by-Brick® program and training from Play Included® founder Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta. This is a great introductory video for parents and school leaders.

Please contact info@therapymatters.com.au if you have any further questions or would like help with booking.

FAQs

Yes it can LEGO® Brick‑Based Therapy can be funded under NDIS Capacity Building when it is delivered by a qualified allied‑health or education professional who is trained in this evidence‑based approach. The therapy must link directly to the child’s NDIS goals and form part of a structured intervention plan.

Therapeutic supports delivered by trained practitioners—who may use tools like LEGO® within a goal‑focused program—can be funded under categories such as Improved Daily Living (e.g. for communication, social interaction and functional skills).

The Brick‑by‑Brick® Program meets evidence‑based standards when delivered by Certified Facilitators trained through Play Included®.

General community “LEGO® groups” that are not run by qualified professionals and do not provide targeted therapeutic support are not funded, as they are considered general social experiences rather than goal directed therapy.