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Language Therapy as a Game
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===Pretend Play is Therapy=== Pretend play, also known as make-believe and symbolic play, is separated from other forms of daily activities by its creative aspect, its difference from habitual actions and those performed for the sake of necessity. Pretend play is exhibited by children universally across all cultures and begins unprompted between the 1.5 to 2 years of age. The absence of pretend play puts a child at high risk for autism and represents a key deficit used in the diagnosis of autism. Pretend play is an essential precursor for combinatorial language. In our research of 7,069 young children with ASD, engagement in pretend play was associated with 1.9-fold better combinatorial language score. The positive effect of pretend play was stronger than the combined effects of seizures and sleep problems. How can parents enhance pretend play activities? Joining your child in his fantasy world is a great way to promote pretend play. Parents can also encourage pretend play with certain toys, like doctor's kits, play kitchen sets, and costumes. Here are a few examples of how you could assist your child developing pretend play. #Build the block house together, put people figures or animal toys near your child. Name a person figure: “This is John. He lives in the house.” Encourage your child to pick John up and put the figure inside the house. Always smile and encourage your child to come up with his own ideas. Your child could say “John” and “house.” Carry on your child’s story, say “John lives and in the house,” as he puts John inside the house. Continue taking turns with your child putting people into the house. If your child’s engagement wanes, bring in a new toy, e.g. a lion. Say “the lion also lives in the house.” Move a few new blocks closer to your child and invite your child to build a second story for the house. Continue commenting joyfully on your child’s achievements. Do not rush your child, just encourage his every move with a smile and a cheerful comment. Remember that play is therapy! #Introduce a toy cup, take a sip, and let your child take a sip from the cup. Show how you enjoy the sip. Smile and say “yummy.” Introduce a doll: Olivia. Say “Olivia wants to drink.” Show Olivia drinking from the cup. Take turns with your child. #Introduce a toy food item, take a bite, and let your child take a bite. Smile and say “yummy.” Say “Olivia is hungry.” Show how to feed Olivia. Take turns with your child feeding Olivia. Pretend that Olivia reaches for the spoon and feeds herself. #Say “Olivia wants to sleep. Olivia wants to go to bed.” Put Olivia into a toy bed, cover her with a blanket and sing a lullaby. Let your child imitate. Take turns covering Olivia with a blanket. #Pretend that Olivia is feeling sad, happy, or hurt. Take turns calming Olivia down. #Take Olivia to a doctor and let your child treat Olivia. #Introduce Olivia’s family: a doll’s father, mother, and siblings. Play out a family story and let your child imitate. Take turns with your child. #Take a fairy tale book and play out its story with toy animals. Let your child imitate the story. Take turns with your child. A shipping container can become a shopping trolley or a bed for a sleeping doll. A banana can become a telephone. Some chairs and a blanket can be transformed into a tent. A wooden stick can become a horse. Pretend play toys can take any form and be constructed of any kind of object. Make use of items around you. Stick to the toys and topics that your child enjoys most. Continue an activity as long as your child enjoys it. Slowly introduce new words, figures, and actions, while paying attention to what your child likes. Remember that play is therapy! Being an actor in your child’s fantasy world is one of the best ways to encourage and motivate him to engage in pretend play. Use pretend play as an opportunity to connect with your child. Smile and thoroughly enjoy the soup he makes you by mixing plastic vegetables in a toy bowl. Do utmost to delight your child. Give your child as much time as he needs. Smile and encourage. Play is therapy!
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