AUTISM FORUM
28-11-01 DEVELOPING PLAY SKILLS IN AUTISM-Ideas that have worked and some difficulties.
MANDEVILLE SCHOOL (HOST)
ALEXANDRA SCHOOL
GRANGEWOOD SCHOOL
HILLINGDON MANOR
ALLENBY SLD UNIT
COLNBROOK SCHOOL
1.Large PECS style Activity Board
Large symbol cards depicting favourite activities.Children sit in circle and take turns to choose an activity via the symbol. The activities are in plastic zip bags. Limiting choice and containerising in bags or small play boxes fit in with Teacch principles.The child may need to start playing at their workstation.
A structured build up principle was employed. First when choosing "Bob the builder" child got the bag with Bob in it. Over time staff built up the contents and demonstrated play so that eventually choosing that symbol got a bag with Bob and his truck and some sand etc that he was able to play with.
Similarly the pens bag was built up to include stencils and the playdough bag to containing the props to "make cakes".
2. Photos of the activities available are put up and the children place their name cards under the activity they choose.
3.Visual cues to developing play skills- Have laminated cards depicting "roll" "squeeze" etc for use with playdough.
4.At an early level teaching visual and auditory attention to the properties of toys or objects using a what's in the box game which can develop into turn taking.
Imaginative play
1.Drama and playscripts- eg act out a story using props and dressing up for the parts. Then have the box of props,clothes and book as a choosing activity.eg Handa's surprise or the bear hunt.
Social Play
1.Large puzzles or clay/playdough enables parralel play.Giving 2 children an identical set of play equipment while they sit next to each other at a table with a line marked between them also has helped.
2.Turn taking has been worked on by passing a ball or car back and forth between children.Also by wearing a hat.
3.PECS has been used to encourage child-child communication. The children choose short self-contained activities via PECS then if they want to change their choice they give the PECS symbol to the child who has the wanted activity.
4.Intensive Interaction/non-directive play therapy approach -follow the child and enter their world
Link to musical interaction method.
5.Modelling- social integration into other classes or into mainstream.
Common Difficulties
Playtimes
Ideas- break up playground into discrete areas
teach playground games
teach team games such as football
In the integrated situation buddies support child in simple running holding hands games
References
"Autism and Play-"Jannik Beyer and Lone Gammeltoft (1998,Jessica Kingsley)
Intensive Interaction- "Access to Communication"- M Nind and D Hewett (1994,David Fulton)
Future Areas for Discussion
1.Behaviour Management
2.Outdoors Play
3.Communication
Next Meeting: Wed 6th Feb 2002 at Colnbrook School Watford.