Many children have artistic talent that can be developed, celebrated, and used to teach other skills. Certainly, we should foster artistic ability in any child and if it happens also to be a passionate interest, we are fortunate indeed. We have a skill to build so many other skills upon! We can use the talent and interest in drawing to teach language skills, emotional regulation skills, reading skills, writing skills, social skills, flexible thinking skills--the list is limited only by the teachers imagination. For example, think of all the descriptive words and phrases that one could use to describe Abby's drawing:
Curly hair.
Long hair.
Long curly hair.
Long curly brown hair.
A crown on long curly brown hair.
Happy.
Happy girl in a blue dress.
Happy girl with long curly brown hair in a blue dress.
Cool shoes!
This happy girl, with long curly brown hair, and a crown, has a blue dress and matching blue shoes.
Now, suppose that everyone in Abby's family, cousins, uncles, grandma and grandpa all wrote a story about Abby's beautiful girl in a blue dress. She would learn fascinating things about the different ways that different people think by reading these stories. She would be motivated to read these stories that others made up about her mysterious and beautiful girl in a blue dress. Abby could hold a family contest to see who would write the best story. Abby could vote and give an award for the funniest, scariest, weirdest, longest, and overall best story--helping her learn to analyze and consider the merit of each story that others wrote. One person's story might include a dragon, perhaps. Another person's story might be about the blue girl in a fashion magazine. The third person might talk about how the beautiful girl in a blue dress stopped smiling because her beautiful shoes made her feet hurt. This competition could help Abby understand that what is in her head when she draws is not the same thing that is in everyone other people's head when they see her picture. Abby could then write the True Story of the Girl in the Blue Dress. She would learn writing skills as we all do by having an audience in mind and an audience that is real. Everyone in Abby's family, and now you and I dear reader, would want to read Abby's story and know the truth.
Why Games? is a discussion about why playing with your child is important and how structured games can make your play times more successful. Creating Common Ground is a discussion of how to get started with children who are not yet talking and often move away, ignore you, or protest when you try to play.
Not Too Easy, Not Too Hard is a discussion about how to find games that are at the right level of difficulty for your child.
You Need To Play....
Playing is like breathing, hugging, prayer--you need to play. Everyone needs to play.Playing is a means of growing attraction between any two souls. You suspect two people are falling in love if they start to play together.If you want a child to love you, learn from you, imitate you, communicate with you, enjoy you--then play with that child. Both of you will experience joy.
It sometimes helps, when one is trying to understand the meaning of a phenomenon , to see that phenomenon in a different context. Watch here as a Husky and a Polar Bear come together in play. Although not as dramatic, I recently saw a rabbit and a squirrel play together in my back yard. Who knew this even happened? Watching them, I felt they provided me with a confirmation, yet again, of the importance of play to the well-being of all beings who are capable of playing. Dr. Stuart Brown Director of the National Institute of Play, speaking in 2007 on Speaking of Faith, describes how play promotes trust, empathy, and adaptability to life's complications. I see the capacity to communicate and enjoy social interaction grow every day with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders as they play with family and friends at the clinic where I practice. This blog and the companion web site, Autism Games are dedicated to inspiring you, fellow lover of a child with autism, to play in a thousand different ways and for a thousand different reasons with your child.
The contents of Autism Games (autismgames.blogspot.com) are for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should seek the advice of your health care provider regarding any questions you have. You should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Autism Games. Autism Games disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on the information on this website.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment