Children with specific interests will find it difficult to engage in purposeful play either alone or with peers. When you and your child play together, the goal is to create repetitive, structured routines in which your child knows that what turns he can take and when to take them. Use R.O.C.K:

Repeat – what you say and do at the beginning, middle and end of the game

Say the name of the game the SAME way every time you play. Even if your child initiates the play, try to label the play by saying something like “Lego” or “Puzzle” or “cars”

Offer Opportunity –for your child to TAKE their turn

Offer your child a turn to keep the game going. Some parents may ask to what kind of turn my child should take? This could be a sound, movement of his body (putting his arms up), a word, eye contact or smile.

Cue – your child to take their turn

Use cues to let your child know that they should take their turn. Natural cues are the best ones – including pause, wait and look expectantly. If your child does not take their turn, you will need to SHOW them what to do (by doing it yourself or physically helping them)

Keep it fun and keep it going

The goal is to get your child to play with you in a back-and-forth interaction that lasts a long time.

Repeat

• Sit face to face with your child
• Blow bubbles and use fun phrase like “blow, blow, blow”
• Repeat the same action with same word

Offer Opportunity

Give your child a turn to keep the game going

• May pull your hand to ask for bubbles
• Say ‘bubbles’
• Say ‘buh’
• Look at you
• Pucker lips and make blowing action
• Smile
• Move towards you

Cue

After blowing bubbles a number of times

• Stop
• Wait
• Look expectant with an animated facial expression

Keep the game going

As soon as your child sends a message that they want to keep playing blow bubbles and repeat the same words. Once they can play the game, change it up.

• Blow big bubbles (say “let’s blow big bubbles”)
• Blow small bubbles (say “lets blow small bubbles”)
• Ask your child to choose (“big or small bubbles”)

Written by Didem Karademir, Speech Pathologist.