Parallel play involves children playing next to each other in the same area with their own toys.

To target this play skill:

• Have two sets of the same toy set out on the floor
• Put a little bit of distance between yourself and your child
• Play with the toys separately
• Be sure to talk to your child about what you are doing and comment on what they are doing!

RECIPROCAL PLAY

Reciprocal play involves engaging in a play activity with another person. Many language skills can be targeted when engaging in reciprocal play (turn taking, sharing, verbal communication, following directions – just to name a few!).

When your child has mastered the above play skills, encourage them to engage in reciprocal play. You can do this using any play activity or game that involves two people. Examples include pop-up-pirate, throwing and catching a ball, board games and using blocks to build a tower.

If you have any concerns about your child’s play skills, call us today and have a chat about whether there is any way we can help you.

Written by Sarah Pritchard – Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic.

Playing with transport toys such as trains, cars and trucks can be a fun and engaging way to help support your child’s language development. Use the following cheat sheet to help work on these communication skills whilst you and your child are playing with transport!

Describing/labelling

Colour: red, blue, yellow, green etc.

Size: big, little, small

Shape: circle, round, square

Sound: whistling, noisy and loud

Speed: fast, slow, quick

Expanding vocabulary

Nouns: sounds (horn), parts of transport (wheels), places they go (road), traffic signs (stop signs)

Functions: what are different parts used for? (horn, wipers, wings)

Concepts: under, around, next to, behind, in front, between

Receptive language

Following directions: give directions using prepositions (e.g. under, around, next to, behind, in front, between, on, off)

Action words

• Go
• Push
• Stop
• Drive
• Pull
• Park
• Open
• Close
• Steer
• Move
• Start
• Fly
• Brake
• Turn
• Open/close

Play and social skills

• Encourage joint attention and pretend play
• Make eye contact and sharing
• Construct together and make stories
• Practise giving and following directions
• Learn road rules

Written by Sarah Pritchard, Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic

Play-dough can be used to create a fun and engaging activity to work on a number of different communication skills. This can include describing, labelling, expanding vocabulary, receptive language, using action words (verbs) and play and social skills. Use the following cheat sheet to help work on these communication skills whilst you and your child are playing with play-dough!

Describing/labelling

Colour: red, blue, yellow, green etc.
Size: big, little, small
Shape: circle, round, square
Texture: smooth, sticky, squishy
Quantity: all, none, empty, full

Expanding vocabulary

Nouns: play-dough, lip, cup, scissors, knife, rolling pin, cookie cutter, table, bench
Concepts: in/out, long/short, more/less, same/different, on/off

Receptive language

Following directions: give directions using prepositions (e.g. under, around, next to, behind, in front, between, on, off)

Action words

• Make – Stick
• Give – Fold
• Push – Squeeze
• Pinch – Pull
• Squash – Roll
• Open – Close

Play and social skills

• Encourage joint attention
• Practise turn taking by taking turns to choose what to make
• Encourage eye contact
• Develop pretend play skills (e.g. pretending to use a play-dough object as something else)

Written by Sarah Pritchard – Speech Pathologist for De Silva Kids Clinic.

Sleep is such a common problem area highlighted by parents and families. There are many reasons why children may be having difficulties with their sleep cycles. Below are some areas that may impact sleep and wake cycles for your child.

Weighted Products

• Try a big teddy bear or some plush toys in bed, added some weight to the toys stuffing (sand or rice bags).
• A weighted blanket or body pillow in their own bed.
• Weight works for us, heavy doona or cushion to cuddle.
• Deep pressure input such as weighted blankets, tucking in sheets firmly, sleeping in a sleeping bag or hugging a body pillow can sometimes be helpful.
• Some might be comforted by the closed space between mum and dad. Try long pillows on both sides in their own bed. Sometimes it also helps if the pillows smell like the parents so getting the parents to sleep with the pillows one night then having the pillows in the child’s bed the next. Also such things as weighted blankets and tight tucking in can help.

Proprioceptive Input

• Lots of vestibular – hammock spinning, scooter board etc during the day for a few weeks might be worth a try.
• Proprioceptive work – pulling/rowing works to calm prior to sleep along with
  the ‘routine’ that the family are doing.

Break the Cycle

• Break their sleep cycle by waking them at 7 am and not letting them sleep until 10 or 11. It will be a few horrible days but it may break the cycle.

Sounds

• Does Dad snore?  Are they comforted by the rhythm or sound of Dad’s breathing or snoring?
• Try some white noise recordings eg. surf crashing, womb sounds or fan.

Social Stories and Rewards

• Try a bit of a reward system for them to provide some extra incentive to stay in their room. Providing them with a “what-to-do story” or social story outlining calming options they could do if they wake in the night might help. Calming options if they wake may include those that you, the family or your child have already identified; however, some ideas may include things like: listening to relaxing music, hugging a favourite toy or pillow firmly, rolling themselves firmly in their blanket etc.
• Social stories and sticker charts have also helped lots of children be motivated to stay in bed.

Light

• Play around with lighting to check if this is an environmental factor affecting sleep. If inside light is becoming distracting leave an outside light on and note the difference in sleep behaviours.
• Try a ‘Groclock’ – this is a light which changes from a blue night face to a bright sun face to give children a visual cue as to when it is the correct time to get out of bed. You can set the times and durations to your needs and your family schedule.

Written by Alannah Sofianos, Occupational Therapist for De Silva Kids Clinic.

We often have referrals to OT to support children to ‘sit still’ when learning. This is often an important goal for many teachers as wriggly bodies can be disruptive to class learning. From an OT perspective, every person uses a variety of strategies to maintain attention.

Often, we are unaware as to what these may be, or even that we are using a strategy!

Movement is well known to support organisation and attention. Particularly, rhythmic, linear and repetitive motion. Movement however often does not fit into the social structure of learning environments.

Schools and workplaces are now becoming more aware of the positive influence of dynamic workplaces, spaces and access to movement has on productivity.

Some ideas to introduce to your learning spaces include:

• Keeping seated time to a minimum, between 5 and 15 minutes is a great length
• Offer movement breaks every 15 minutes of seated learning for junior years and every 30 for senior years
• Complete work in a variety of spaces and body positions, such as lying on the floor, working on the whiteboard, working outside
• Offer bouncy bounders on the bottom of chair legs (as pictured)
• Offer wobble stools, cushions, fitballs, etc.

Should you need further assistance or want to make an appointment to see an Occupational Therapist please contact us.

Written by Occupational Therapist Laura Taylor for De Silva Kids Clinic.