Play... A Platform For Learning
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Play is an integral part of child development. During first few years of child age, he spends most of his time in playing and learns through it. It is the child’s work and he enjoys it because it is fun. Play is a way for interacting yourself and with environment. Toys are the aids or props to assist the play. Play may or may not require toys.
There are different developmental stages for the play but most important is that the child should enjoy it and learn from it. Play provides the platform for developing the other milestone of development. It helps in improving communication, social skills like turn taking and sharing, physical and fine motor development, cognition and emotion. Other important skills like joint attention, competitiveness, leadership and team building.
Play is the spontaneous activity which most of the child learn by themselves, but for transition it into skill it may need guidance or skill training. Play becomes different for the child with developmental delays. It becomes ritualistic, repetitive, non spontaneous, purposeless and rigid.
Most of the Children with Autism have problems with play. They have problem because they have difficulty in imagination, joint attention, fine motor, understanding the language, or sensory problems.
Play therapy is the specialized area where the play is taught as per the child ability. To make some children to learn play may need early interventionist or occupational therapy assistance but for some parents themselves can work. It may need patient and creative ideas from parents. Professionals can help you to make the process easy as they helps in treating the child issues like the sensory problems or fine motor problems. Professionals also guide about the required play for the child. Various types of play are Physical play, Water play, Sand Play, fine motor play and pretend play
Tips for the parents:
1. Keep the session short initially and then increase the time.
2. Be patient and gentle
3. Start up with simple toys and then go next level.
4. Buy the toys by seeing the purpose rather than the price tag
5. Start up with the activity or play which the child like and then add one more similar activity with different purpose
6. Play should also be purposeful
7. Give the child to explore and imagine, wait for the child’ anticipation
8. Never dominate the play, start up as assistant and then after building rapport with the child.
9. Add music or rhyme in the play session
10. Always end the session with a good note or the activity which child enjoys
Posted byNeeti at 3:01 PM
very nice article.. keep it up
This is indeed a very good article that can help parents deal with altuism amongst children effectively.