August 23rd, 2024

Each and every child is born with the natural drive for growth, development and learning. Do you think ALL children have this drive? Regardless of their developmental levels? If that  is true, what is the most natural method by which the child reaches these developmental goals?

Play, of course.

To define play is at the same time easy and very difficult. It has been called many things- “the work of the child”; “the vocation of a child”.  It is a medium that advances children’s growth and  development and is especially useful for adjustment, helping the child master anxieties and conflicts. It is also a fact that play is  exciting and pleasurable in itself because it satisfies the exploratory drive each of us possesses. Play is a universal language that aids in the overall development of the child.

When a child has a difficulty in development, neurodiversity or a disability, she may be restricted from engaging in her intrinsic need and inclination to play by two major factors - One, her own impairments may restrict her engagement with the environment; Second, the environment itself may not be adequate enough, to be accessible to her and accommodate her special requirements. It is a fundamental right of the child, to have access to all opportunities and environments where she can play, regardless of learning levels, mobility levels or neurodiversity.

Play during Therapy

In therapy, activities  targeting specific skills need to be presented in the form of play in order to make it more enjoyable and meaningful for the child. For example, if the therapist is aiming for skills like throwing/ kicking towards a target, it would be more productive and natural to play with the child, maybe including various body movements and positions, taking turns with another child, cheering/ clapping to encourage every effort and build communication. Playing with various textures, like water, sand, soap, foam, clay, putty etc. form a large part of the sensory motor  therapy process for children with neurodiversity.

Play can be used as a tool in speech therapy as it allows children to learn new skills and practice them in a fun and engaging way. Our speech therapists utilize play to target specific goals in articulation, fluency, social communication by incorporating toys, games, and other fun filled activities that promote the interaction of the child and therapist.

Play based intervention will also help the child to generalize the learnt skills after a structured activity. Be it playing a speech gesture game like 'peek-a- boo' or an "I spy" game to target vocabulary, incorporating play into speech therapy sessions creates a supportive and encouraging environment for communication.

At some other times, we notice children like to play by themselves, and do not require any social engagement. This stage allows them the freedom and “me-time” to master their skills.

As our children grow more there comes a stage where they keenly watch other children play, but do not join in. Have we all wondered or worried about our children, when we noticed this? Do not worry, your child is quietly watching and learning the rules of social engagement!

Soon thereafter, children will engage in parallel play; they will like to play around other children, but may not play “with” them. This  helps them as an “ice-breaker” for social interaction and playing with other children.

The children then achieve what  is a major shift in the child’s life, where they are more interested in other children than in the actual play materials or toys. This helps the child graduate into the kind of play, where the full-fledged social interactions are in action. Children can take part in group games and activities, can play with simple rules, sharing. Of course, this will naturally lead to conflicts and conflict resolution also!

Have you noticed that younger children are more interested in the gift-wrapping and the box in which their expensive and fancy toy came in? That’s because both those things have the flexibility to match the child’s curiosity, creativity and imagination, that unfortunately, most toys do not!

Some general playthings that are flexible-

• Sand, water, clay

• Household articles, activities

• Books

• Paints

• Outdoors

• Music

• dance

• Drama - role play

Despite all the technology that's available to us now, there is still no plaything as interesting, motivating, changeable, entertaining and loving as a caring adult.

Parents are the playmates to all children in the beginning, and it takes a ‘special parent’ to understand and accommodate the child’s need for play, when the child is not developing typically.

Very often parents find that when they give the child opportunities for playing, they along with the child find the process invigorating and leading to more positive interactions with the child.

"Play is everything to Bhoomi. She thrives in outdoor play areas, eagerly exploring and discovering her own unique ways to interact with them. At home, she enjoys arranging her toys with precision, often grouping them by color or height. Since verbal expression is still a developing skill for her, play has become a vital tool in her learning journey, fostering growth and understanding in a fun and engaging way.” says Archana Kulkarni, Bhoomi’s mother, who has completely understood and accepted her child’s neurodiversity.  

Another understanding parent, S, talks about play opportunities she creates for her son, AS, “.....needs more of movement related activities for learning and concentration.. Our regular play are…..Red Light/ Green Light….Hide and Seek…..Shadow Play….Treasure Hunt….through all these play activities he is able to learn much better…..”

What does it take to turn kids into bird enthusiasts? Join Early Bird in Bangalore for the ‘How to be a Birding Buddy’ workshop on 24th Aug 2024, Saturday and learn how to make nature as irresistible to kids as candy! Register here.