Object Play Milestones

This blog post is a summary and condensed version of the developmental milestones of play.

Playing with Objects 

Sensorimotor-Exploratory Play

• What is it? When kids touch and examine objects 

• Age: 2-4 months

• Examples:

  • Looking, feeling, holding, licking, banging, rubbing and throwing objects

Relational-Nonfunctional Play

• What is it? When children relate more than one object in a way that people don’t usually do

• Age: 5-10 months 

• Examples:

  • Stacking, bumping, touching, pushing objects together 

  • Holding multiple objects 

  • Offering/accepting objects to/from people 

Functional-Conventional Play

• What is it? When children relate more than one object in a way that in a functional and conventional way

• Age: 10-12 months 

• Examples:

  • Stirring spoon in bowl 

  • Holding a doll

  • Pushing a toy car 

  • Kissing a teddy bear 

Symbolic Play

• What is it? This type of play involves a child using something as a symbol for something else. This type of play is the most complex so there are different examples for various ages listed below.

• Age: 12-18 mo

  • Examples: 

    • Pretending to sleep 

    • Pretending to drink from a cup 

• Age: 18-24 mo

  • Examples: 

    • Pretending a banana is a phone 

    • Pressing a play phone against a doll’s ear, putting a doll to sleep

• Age: 24-30 mo

  • Examples:

    • Pretending to hold an imaginary phone to their ear and speaking into it 

    • Pretending to sleep in an imaginary bed 

    • Pressing a play phone against a doll’s ear and pretending to speak for the doll

    • Playing house (e.g. laying out food for dolls in a pretend kitchen)

- S

References

Casby, M. W. (2003). Developmental assessment of play: A model for early intervention. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 24(4), 175-183.

Parten, M. B. (1932). Social participation among pre-school children. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27(3), 243-269.

What Classifies a "Late Talker"?

The term “late talker” is frequently referred to in the literature, in schools, and by parents and SLPs. But what does it mean? What classifies a child as a “late talker?”

Singleton (2018) asserts that a late talker can be characterized as a child with less than 50 words at 24 months of age, or no word combinations at 24 months of age. Contrast this with typically developing children’s language milestones of having around 100 words at 24 months of age and two word combinations (Paul et al., 2017). This is reflective of a language delay, and possible neurodevelopmental problems. Although it may be a language delay, it is better to seek supports early on. This is mentioned in another post, titled “Wait and See”, which suggests that the ‘wait and see’ approach is outdated and can be detrimental to a chid’s development.

-S

References

Paul, R., Norbury, C. & Gosse, C. (2017). Language disorders: From infancy through adolescence (5th edition). St. Louis: Mosby. 

Singleton, N.C. (2018). Late talkers: why the wait and see approach is outdated. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 65(1), 13-29.

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The Wait-and-See Approach is Outdated

It is not uncommon to hear people suggest that you can just “wait and see” if your child is experiencing delays in areas such as speech or language. However, recent research by Singleton (2018) asserts that the “wait and see” approach for children’s speech and language is outdated and a risky way to navigate atypical developmental patterns in children’s speech and language. They explain that a wait and see approach not only delays referrals that a child may require for further examinations but that in fact most late-talkers do not catch up to their same-aged peers in all areas of development (e.g. social skills, school readiness, academic achievements, and possibly a life long disability). Moreover, Singleton (2018) reports that over 80% of toddlers who failed language screenings at 30 months were not recovered even by age 6, and often these children acquire a diagnosis of having a language disorder in elementary school. I recall working with an SLP who explained to parents that early intervention is key for taking advantage of the plasticity of young children’s brains. She also mentioned that it is easier for children to acquire new information and improve functions in specific areas of challenge when they are less overwhelmed in other areas, which tends to be before they begin school. Often parents wait until their child is flagged by a teacher at school as having a speech or language issue before beginning any intervention. However, the child then suffers from being on a lengthy waitlist, and will also have a harder time catching up to their peers at school, as they now have to learn speech among the busy curriculum at school. This can prove to be quite overwhelming to the student. Moreover, Paul, Norbury and Gosse (2018) explain that children learn to read until they eventually begin to read to learn early on in elementary school. If children are not yet reading when their peers are making this switch, the child will begin to fall behind and will struggle to close this gap. Therefore, if you are concerned at all with your child’s developmental milestone trajectory, it is always better to intervene sooner than later!

-S

*Atlanta Speech Therapy shared this a guest blog post on their site. To view it their click here.

References

Paul, R., Norbury, C. & Gosse, C. (2017). Language disorders: From infancy through adolescence (5th edition).St. Louis: Mosby. 

Singleton, N.C. (2018). Late talkers: why the wait and see approach is outdated. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 65(1), 13-29.

Different Communication Styles in Children

Just like adults, children demonstrate unique communication styles. Finding out which communication style your child exhibits can make it easier to communicate with them. Children’s communication style can either make it harder or easier for other people to interact and communicate with them. Hanen explains that a child’s communication style depends on two things: (1) their ability to initiate interactions with others and (2) their ability to respond when other people initiate an interaction with them. Hanen puts forth four different communication styles.

1. Sociable Communication Style. This child initiates interactions with others and is quick to respond to others initiations. Even if they only have few words or are hard to understand they continue to try and communicate with others.

2. Reluctant Communication Style. This child is more likely to respond to others than to initiate an interaction on their own. This child may be labelled as “shy” and may need time to “warm up” to become comfortable with new people and new environments. This child’s communicative attempts might fly under the radar so try and lookout for them. Having difficulties with communication may decrease confidence and decrease attempts at interacting with others.

3. Passive Communication Style. This child rarely responds and rarely initiates interactions with others. Children who have this communication style may be hard to connect with because they may seem uninterested in people and objects such as toys. A developmental delay, a sickness or being on medications may lead to this more passive communication style.

4. Own Agenda Communication Style. This child usually only initiates communicating with others when they need something; otherwise, they can most often be found playing independently and alone. A child with this communication style might be hard to get a message across to as they may seem as if they are in their own little word. Children with this style of communication struggle to successfully play and share with others.

Try and take note of your child’s communication style and patterns. Which style do they seem to have? Extra speech and language support is likely required for reluctant, passive and own agenda communication styles; however, a child with a sociable communication style can benefit from extra support too.

Click here for the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk book on amazon.ca and here for amazon.com.

-S

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost you, I may earn a commission of you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

References

Weitzman, E. (2017). It Takes Two to Talk: A practical guide for parents of children with language delays (5th ed.). Toronto, ON: The Hanen Centre.

13 Indicators of Autism

In grad school, one of my Clinical Educator’s introduced me to a paper titled, “Early Indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Second Year of Life” by Wetherby et al. (2004) to review before my first few autism assessments. The results and details of the paper’s study are discussed below. The authors found 13 red flags to potentially discriminate autism from typically developing children and children with developmental delays with a correct classification rate of 94.4%. It’s noteworthy that aspects such as challenging behaviours and aversion to social contact were not included in the 13 red flags.

Participants:

• Children with autism, developmental delays, and typically developing children under the age of 24 months

Results:

• 9 Red Flags to Differentiate Children with Autism from Children with Developmental Delays and Typically Developing Children:

  • lack of appropriate gaze

  • lack of warm, joyful expressions with gaze

  • lack of sharing enjoyment or interest

  • lack of response to name

  • lack of coordination of gaze, facial expression, gesture, and sound

  • lack of showing

  • unusual prosody

  • repetitive movements or posturing of body, arms, hands, or fingers

  • repetitive movements with objects

• 4 Red Flags to Differentiate Children with Autism from Typically Developing Children:

  • lack of response to contextual cues

  • lack of pointing

  • lack of vocalizations with consonants

  • lack of playing with a variety of toys conventionally

Remember that early indicators of autism can be seen by both the absence of typically developing behaviours (e.g. lack of response to name) and the presence of atypical behaviours (e.g. repetitive movements with objects).

Increasing awareness of indicators of autism in young children is important because it increases likeliness of early intervention. To read about the importance of early intervention click here.

To read the paper in it’s entirety see the reference below!

-Shannon

References

Wetherby, A. M., Woods, J., Allen, L., Cleary, J., Dickinson, H., & Lord, C. (2004). Early indicators of autism spectrum disorders in the second year of life. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(5), 473-493. doi:10.1007/s10803-004-2544-y

You're Taking Care of Them... Who is Taking Care of You?

My recent post “What About Your Other Children?” delved into the guilt that parents of children with special needs often feel regarding their typically developing children. When so much time is spent with one child, parents worry they aren’t spending enough time playing with or planning for their typically developing children. That post gives strategies for parents to help with these common and natural feelings. However, it got me to thinking - how many parents are asking themselves, “What About Me?”  When you become a parent, your whole world changes and suddenly it isn’t about you anymore.  People throw themselves wholeheartedly into taking care of this new little one who needs them so much.  But if you’re taking care of everyone else all the time, who is taking care of you? 

Are you familiar with the term caregiver burnout. Burnout is “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.” Caregiver burnout is a real thing and it is an important topic to be open about and to discuss. It is so important for parents to set aside time in the day and/or week for self care.

This brings up the common airplane analogy; put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping the person next to you. You cannot be there for everyone else in your life if you don’t show up for yourself first and you can’t give from an empty cup. Have you ever heard the phrases, “Mothers need mothering too” or “It takes a village”? These are common phrases for a reason; because they are important and universal truths! 

After many discussions with close family/friends who have children with special needs and clients and their families, I have compiled a list of suggestions for continuing to invest in yourself and your wellbeing so you can set yourself up to keep showing up for others.

 1.Join a parent support group. There are various support groups available online (e.g. on Facebook, Instagram etc.), or in the area that you are living in. Check these out - I know lots of parents have found these to provide a wealth of information and have found comfort in connecting with individuals who “get it.” 

2.Reach out to friends/family. People like helping other people - they actually get joy from it. When you let someone help you, you are helping them too.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends or family if you need help with things (e.g. babysitter, someone to pick the kids up, an ear to listen etc.) - you may be surprised at how well your requests are received. You’re not alone! 

 3.Date nights. Make time for your relationship / marriage and your family by taking regular date nights. Whether that’s once a week or once a month try and implement it into your schedule. I have heard from lots of married couples that a scheduled date night can really make all the difference in their stress levels. 

4.Exercise. Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy and release unwanted stress hormones! Try implementing an exercise routine into your schedule. Walking counts!  Going for a walk a few times a week with a friend can provide you with a positive outlet for stress and negative emotions. 

5.Say “no.” There is so much stress on parents to always say “yes.” Can you volunteer at the kids’ field trip? Can you make something for the bake sale? Can you drive your child + all of their friends to their baseball practice? Can you help with a class event? Can you, can you, can you? It is okay to say “no” and exercising that as an option more frequently might help relieve some stress.

6.Consider getting a nanny or a regular babysitter. I know this option is not for everyone.  Nannies / babysitters can be expensive.  But if you can afford it, it is a valuable investment. A concern parents with special needs often have regarding nannies is finding one that is capable of providing the care and patience that your child requires. A good idea here is to try to find a mature student who is working towards a career such as SLP, OT, nursing, teaching etc. They likely already have many skills and tools that your child would benefit from. When I was in undergrad, I nannied a child with higher needs and it was one of the most rewarding jobs I have had. Check out the Canadian Nanny website to help with your search. 

 7.Throw away perfection. Nothing is perfect and no one is perfect.  As soon as you become a parent you and other people will be able to point out a million things you are doing “wrong.” A family member who is a therapist often says, “Good enough parenting is good enough.” I think this statement is incredibly freeing.  You don’t have to be the best or a perfect parent.  If you allow yourself to be “good enough,” that’s good enough!

 Other great resources for parents can be found at abilities.com.

I hope this is of value to you. Provide any tips or experiences you have had in the comments below.

-Shannon

SLP Recommendations for Developing Speech and Language Skills

During treatment or at the end of sessions or assessments, SLPs often give parents recommendations to help facilitate their child’s speech and language development. The tips often differ depending on a specific diagnosis or area of need so make sure to discuss with your own SLP about recommendations specifically for your child. However, these tips are very common and helpful, many of which come from the Hanen program and the Early Start Denver Model.

• Reduce/remove distractions (e.g. phone, TV, other people conversing). Try to have distraction free interaction time with your child every day. A common example is to turn off the TV during dinner and engage in a family conversation.

• Follow your child’s lead while playing. For example, if your child is playing with blocks, try playing with the blocks too instead of having them switch to playing with trains. Following their lead will increase the likelihood of them attempting to communicate because they will be more interested. Similarly, try to refrain from saying “say” and asking lots of questions as this can discourage communicative attempts. No one likes to be put on the spot.

• Be a “sports broadcaster.” Model language surrounding what your child is doing. Make short and simple statements that are easy to understand but at a slightly higher level than your child’s. For example, if your child is looking at a picture of a snowman and says “snowman,” you could respond encouragingly with “a snowman on the hill.”

• When your child produces errors in their speech or language, repeat back their statements in a positive tone of voice using correct grammar and articulation. This shows them that you are interested in what they have to say which helps build confidence. It will also help develop their expressive language abilities and remediate their errors in grammar and articulation. You don’t have to say “no” before repeating or ask them “did you mean?” Just repeat it back correctly in an encouraging way. For example, if they say “tat” respond with “cat.”

• Match +1 (or 2). Expand what your child says by adding one or two words to what they say. For example, if your child says, “Plays a lot of toys.” You could respond with, “Children play with a lot of toys.”

• Engage in people games to encourage the development of social communication abilities. People games involve the child’s attention being directed towards another person rather than on an object/toy. Examples: sing a song, play hide and seek, play peek a boo. This is in contrast to “object games” which centre around an object like a toy.

• Repeat words! To learn and produce new words children have to hear them many times. Try to make it natural, pointing out and naming things as you go to keep them interested.

• Communication Temptations. Manipulate situations to encourage communication. For example, blow bubbles and then close the bubble container and wait for the child to request more.

• Perspective taking can be a challenge for children with autism, as well as for some typically developing children. Ways to develop this skill are explained in the following suggestions:

  • When talking with your child, share your opinion and your feelings, especially if they differ from those of your child. For example, if your child wants to move on to a new activity you could say that you would like one more turn first. This can help to remind them that other people have their own schedules, ideas, plans and perspectives.

  • During play or daily routines, set up “problems” and allow your child the opportunity to generate solutions. For example, if they want to play in the living room, you could get stuck behind a chair on the way. Ask them for a solution to help you get around the chair, which will require them to take on your perspective.

• Keep it natural. This tip is similar to letting your child take the lead, trying to keep from asking them to “say” things, and not being too obvious when you are repeating words. Keeping your interactions with your child as natural as possible will help keep them engaged and interested. This was a long list of tips, but you don’t have to implement them all at once!

Hope you find these tips helpful!

-S

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

Gaining a Child's Attention

I follow an account on Facebook called, “Finding Coopers Voice.” It is a beautiful blog run by a mother who has a son with autism who is nonverbal. One of her latest posts discussed the challenges she has faced with learning how to effectively play with her child with autism. She said and I quote, “My son wouldn’t play with me. In fact, he didn’t play at all. He watched his tv shows and he wandered. That’s it.” In reading this post I realized how common it is for parents to feel this way about struggling to play with their children with special needs. However, parents are often apprehensive to come forward and ask for advice or help surrounding this topic of playing with their chldren because they feel like they should naturally know how to. Let me tell you, this is not the case! It can be incredibly challenging to learn how to effectively play with children with special needs. The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) (i.e. a comprehensive therapy approach for children with autism) has a parent manual where they lay out 5 steps to gaining your child’s attention which is so helpful when attempting to play with them.

1. Identify what is in the spotlight of your child’s attention. Find out what it is that your child is interested in playing with or is motivated by and utilize this for gaining their attention and successfully playing with them. Take note of what they look at, what textures they touch, what sounds they seem to enjoy, what areas of the house they like being in etc. and try and implement these into playtime.

2. Step onto the “stage”; take your position. Always try and position yourself in the spotlight; in other words put yourself in front of their eyes. If you are reading a book sit in front of them (instead of beside them). If you are playing a game on the ground, lift the game up and off the ground onto a small table so their face is more likely to look at yours when they glance up.

3. Eliminate the competition. Remove all surrounding distractions. For example, turn off the TV, remove screens, go into a quiet room, remove loose toys etc. This will help you gain the attention of your child and in turn will aid in successfully playing with them.

4. Identify your child’s social comfort zone. It’s important to find out where your child feels the most comfortable. For example, some children with autism might feel really uncomfortable if they are sitting too close to someone. Try and start observing at what distance your child feels the most comfortable and then stay in that zone while trying to play with them. For example, if you notice your child turns their head away and moves their body when you are close, back up a little and see how they respond.

5. Join in by following your child’s lead. It is common for parents to try and introduce a new toy or game that they think will captivate their child’s interest when the child is already playing with a different toy. For example, if a child is holding a block a parent might try and show their child a new book or stuffed animal. However, playing and communicating with all children will be much more successful when you follow their lead. You can start doing this by using the Hanen approach of OWL-ing which means Observe-Wait-Listen. This will help you find out what they are doing and in which ways you can join in on the fun. Some examples of ways you can join in by following their lead are: actively listening, narrating what they are doing or being a sports broadcaster, offering help, providing space for communication temptations, and imitating what they are doing.

Check out my post on common SLP recommendations given to parents for more ideas!

Find the ESDM parent manual on amazon by clicking here and amazon.com by clicking here.

I hope you find this useful!

-Shannon

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

Communication Stages

The Hanen program, It Takes Two to Talk discusses four stages of communication that children progress through. Children with speech, language and communication difficulties go through these four stages too, just at a slower rate and some children do not always get through all of these stages.

Find the It Takes Two to Talk book on amazon.ca or amazon.com.

The Four Stages:

1. Discoverers. Children who are “discoverers” do not communicate with a specific purpose; however, they do react to how they feel and they react to what is occurring around them. Examples: crying, cooing, babbling, looks, smiles, laughs. Typically developing children tend to be in this stage between the ages of approximately 1-8 months.

2. Communicators. Children who are “communicators” are now sending messages with a specific purpose without the use of words. Examples: gestures such as waving, pointing, shaking/nodding head. Typically developing children tend to be in this stage between the ages of approximately 8-12 months.

3. First Word Users. A child who is a “first word user” are now using single words, signs or pictures. Their words usually represent common and familiar people or objects around them. Examples: mama, dada, ball, dog. Typically developing children tend to be in this stage between the ages of approximately 12-22 months.

4. Combiners. When children have between 50-100 words they begin to combine their words! Context is often required to fully understand what combiners mean. Examples: cookie allgone, more juice, mommy up. Typically developing children tend to be in this stage between the ages of approximately 22-24 months +.

What stage of communication is your child in?

-Shannon

Extended Family: Help or Hindrance

The ESDM’s parent guide discusses how to deal with extended family if they are being a hindrance and the importance of extended family if they are being helpful. The more that your extended family joins in, supports your family, encourages you, provides optimism, and share the challenges of a newfound diagnosis, the better the adjustment process. It really does take a village. However, it is important to try and remember that extended family members go through similar emotional processes that parents do (e.g. grief, denial etc.) and they may at times be a bit of a hindrance.

Extended family members can be helpful if they are:

• there for you

• supporting your concerns

• aware of the evaluation/assessment process

• sharing emotions that can occur after a diagnosis

• providing comfort, reassurance and support

If this is the case you can:

• provide them will all the information they want and you have

• let them help you, your child and your family

• let them join in (e.g. attend therapy sessions, IEP meetings etc.)

Extended family members can feel like a hindrance if they:

• deny your observations

• tell you that “you worry too much” or that your expectations are “too high”

• make statements like “Auntie Joe didn’t talk until she was 3.5!” or “Boys just don’t talk until later.”

• tell you that you spoil your child or do “too much” for them

If this is the case try the following:

1. Have trust in yourself and your partner. Parents are the expert of their children. Make the decisions you feel are right for your child and your family. This may result in a little distancing from your family for the time-being but it is important to trust your instincts. You can still inform them of the assessment processes and any changes that occur, but continue to move forward following your parental instincts.

2. Turn to other people in your support system. Reach out to understanding friends and others who are willing to offer support in what can feel like a very lonely time.

3. Have others talk to extended family members. When service providers or others offer help - take it! People such as service coordinators, a parent from an advocacy group, or a therapist (e.g. OT, SLP) can be a great option for relaying information to extended family members.

4. Continue. Keep moving forward with doing what is best for your family and your child. Your extended family will eventually accept the diagnosis and support you. Until then, provide them with information they want (e.g. assessment reports, treatment plans, worksheets) and share with them therapy activities that they can begin doing with your child if they are babysitting.

Remember that it is okay to limit time with anyone who is not supportive of your family and your child’s special needs.

Check out my article “You’re Taking Care of Them - Who’s Taking Care of You?” on the importance of self-care for parents and my article “What About Your Other Children?” on tips to reduce the common parent guilt for not providing enough attention for typically developing siblings.

Find the ESDM parent guide on amazon.ca by clicking here and amazon.com by clicking here.

-Shannon

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

References

Rogers, S. J., Dawson, G., & Vismara, L.A. (2012). An early start for your child with autism: 

Using everyday activities to help kids connect, communicate, and learn. New York: The Guilford Press.

5 Factors that Influence Children's Language Development

The research by Johnston (2010) has suggested that there are five key domains coming into play that influence children’s language development. Listed below are the five domains.

1. Social. Toddler’s guide their language learning by inferring from a speaker’s communicative intent (e.g. they watch what adults are looking at and referring to). Moreover, the verbal environment (e.g. verbal families that provide children with lots of input) children are exposed to between the ages of 1-3 has a positive affect on their language levels at age 9. This highlights the social nature of language and how much of language is learned through naturalist interactions with other people versus rote learning through workbooks or cue cards.

2. Perceptual. Ever wonder why there is such a focus on ensuring children’s hearing is tested at birth, again in kindergarten and prior to commencing speech therapy? Well auditory perception (the ability to perceive and interpret information through the ears) skills between 6-12mo of age can predict vocabulary size and syntactic (sentence structure) complexity at 24 months.

3. Cognitive Processes. You have probably heard SLPs emphasize the importance of repeating words to children many times. A recommendation SLPs often give is “repeat, repeat and repeat some more!” This is because frequency in input affects rate of language learning. For example, children who hear more examples of language learn language faster than children who have a lower frequency of language examples.

4. Conceptual. Language learning skills is affected by a child’s knowledge of the words that they are learning. In other words, children who have challenges recalling certain words tend to know less about the word they are trying to recall. For example, if a child knows what a dog is, has pet a dog, and knows what sound a dog makes, they will have an easier time recalling the word “dog” in comparison to a child who has heard the word “dog” but has no mental representation of it (e.g. unsure of what it looks like, what sounds it makes, where it lives etc.). This emphasizes the importance of not only labelling words to children but also explaining the words to them and showing them examples of the words. Books are great for this because children can be exposed to so many new words with clear examples that they otherwise might not have ever been exposed to in real life.

5. Linguistic. A child’s current vocabulary is something that they use to infer new word meanings. For example, if there are two objects in front of a child and one is a toy they are familiar with (e.g. a ball) and one is something they are unfamiliar with (e.g. a dice) and an adult says, “Give me the dice!” monolingual children will usually give the adult the correct item despite being unfamiliar with the term. This is because they often will use a process of elimination. For example, since they knew already what the label for ball was they can assume that is not the object the adult is referring to and will therefore in turn reach for the unfamiliar object and assume this is the “dice” the adult is talking about. However, bilingual children often cannot use this process because they are aware that the same object already often has two labels already (one label for each language); therefore, bilingual children often use other means for interpreting item labels and cannot use this mutual exclusivity principle.

References

Johnston, J. (2010). Factors that influence language development. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development.

The Fun Quotient

We are all familiar with EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) and IQ (Intelligence Quotient) but how many of us are familiar with the term FQ (Fun Quotient)!? I have been reading the ESDM (Early Start Denver Model) by Sally Rogers and Geraldine Dawson and the ESDM’s parent guide, “An Early Start for Your Child with Autism” by Sally Rogers, Geraldine Dawson and Laurie Vismara.

There is a chapter called “Everyday Strategies” and within that is a section labelled “Why Having Fun Together Is So Important” where they list six points on why and how having fun with your child can increase their learning.

Buy the ESDM manual on amazon.ca or amazon.com.

The Fun Quotient

1. More fun = faster learning. Children learn faster when they have more exposure and more practice to what they are learning. Therefore, they will want to keep doing fun activities which will aid in their practice of the activity and increase the speech of their learning.

2. More fun = more learning opportunities. If a child is having fun they will want to continue doing the activity for longer which will mean there are more opportunities for learning.

3. More fun = increase in communicative attempts. When a child is having fun they will likely show the following communicative strategies: smiling, reaching, turn taking which are all aspects of communication that are necessary in order for one to develop words, gestures and more complex language in their repertoire.

4. More fun = a reward in itself. If the child communicates that they want to keep playing the game because they are enjoying it and you do continue this is positive reinforcement and a reward in itself for the child partaking in the activity aka a natural reward system.

5. More fun = increase in ability to maintain attention. If a child is having fun they will be more engaged and more willing to sustain their focused attention for longer periods of time. Maintaining attention during educational activities is an important skill children must develop over time in order to successfully manage school and learn language.

-SB

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

The Benefits of Inclusion

Since the school year has officially begun I thought it would be fitting to share some benefits of inclusivity in the school system. I had two pieces of inspiration for this post. A grad school professor had our class read a very interesting article which was “A Summary of the Evidence in Inclusive Education". The article was lengthy so I thought it would be beneficial to summarize it in a post on here if you don’t have time to read the whole thing (however I do recommend you look over it). On top of that article, I was speaking to a parent over the weekend and they were telling me all about how excited they are that their child who is in a grade three classroom is learning ASL (American Sign Language). The parent explained to me that there is a deaf student in the class so they hired a teacher that speaks both English and ASL. So now not only can the child who is deaf understand the teacher while still being in an inclusive classroom setting but the other students in the classroom are learning ASL at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. Having the deaf child included in the classroom setting is benefiting everyone in the classroom.

It’s important to understand what exactly inclusion is before I list the benefits. The article linked above asserts that inclusion is when students with disabilities are immersed in the same classroom as the other students while also providing changes to the classroom environment itself to adequately provide education to all the students in the classroom.

Benefits of Inclusion for Students With and Without Disabilties:

1. Academics. Research has shown that students without disabilities have either positive or neutral effects on their academics when students with disabilities are included in their classrooms. Parents are often worried about their typically developing child not being challenged enough in the classroom if teachers are focusing too much on students with disabilities. However, research has shown that inclusion of students with disabilities not only increases the quality of the teacher’s instruction but that teacher’s strategic and thoughtful instruction actually meets the needs for a more diverse set of learners, thus targeting all the students in the classroom not just the A+ students.

When it comes to the academic achievement for students with disabilities all of the research demonstrates the same thing which is students with disabilities who are learning in inclusive settings academically outperform their peers with disabilities who are learning in segregated settings. This is especially true for their language and literacy but research has also shown this to be true for mathematics as well.

2. Social and emotional development. As discussed in the literature, there are several benefits of inclusion for students without disabilities when it comes to their social and emotional development.

• Reduced fear of human differences and increased comfort and awareness (i.e. there is a decrease in the fear surrounding people who look/act differently)

• Increased tolerance of others

• More effective communication with peers

• Increased self-esteem and sense of belonging

• Decreased prejudice

• Increased responsiveness to others needs

• Increase in positive friendships

For students with disabilities many of the same benefits show up in the research. For example, research has shown that inclusive education settings also assist in students with disabilities forming and maintaining positive peer friendships. Other benefits for students with disabilities include:

• Increased development of social skills

• Decrease in perceived loneliness

• Decreased behavioral problems

• Increase in school and community involvement

• Increase in independence

• Increase in self-sufficiency

It is important to note that these benefits occur when teachers are properly trained on how to manage an inclusive classroom, funding is given to the schools to hire EAs and provide education to teachers and staff and the teachers have an open and positive mind set of having an inclusive classroom.

So when you are reflecting on inclusivity and acceptance whether it be in the workplace or the school system try and remember that when people are exposed to diversity their tolerance for diversity increases.

-S

Social Play Milestones

Social play is when children of similar ages interact and play with each other. It is a very important milestone in childhood development and emerging language and social skills.

Unoccupied play: birth to 3 months

Children in this stage are observing anything of temporary interest, and if there is nothing happening of interest they will play with their own bodies, move around, or sit in one spot.

Solitary independent play: birth to 2 years

Solitary independent play is when a child plays alone with different toys than children in their vicinity and does not attempt to engage with others.

Onlooker behaviour: emerging around 2 years

Onlooker behaviour is when children spend time watching a specific group of children without entering in the play, though the child may talk to and ask questions of the children being observed

Parallel play: emerging after 2 years

A child in this stage will play with toys similar to those of the children next to them, though the use of toys is independent and the child will not attempt to influence the other children

Associate play: emerging around 3-4 years

Children in this stage are actively playing with others, talking about a common activity, and engaging with the toys in a similar manner, though the activity is not organized

Cooperative play: emerging after 4 years

Cooperative play is when children play in a group with an organized intent, typically with one or two children in charge, and each child has a different purpose to fulfill a common goal

Ways to Decrease Challenging Behaviours

Dr. Lynn Kern Koegl discussed “Practical Ways to Decrease Challenging Behaviours in School, Home and Community Settings” at an Autism Community Training event last October 2018. In these videos, she discusses how disruptive behaviours are communicative and that all kids have them, not just children with autism or special needs. These behaviours occur because they tend to be effective and efficient and are actually often unintentionally reinforced (e.g. attention). Therefore, the first step is trying to discover the function of the behaviour. What is this behaviour serving for the child? What are they trying to communicate? What need isn’t being met? Typically developing children tend to show a reduced frequency of disruptive behaviours as they grow older because they acquire more language. Having a larger language repertoire allows them to “use their words” and helps them to regulate their emotions. However, if a child is nonverbal, has apraxia of speech, autism, DLD etc., then the behaviours may not decrease because they are still having a hard time expressing their thoughts, wants, and needs productively and effectively.

Some predictors of Disruptive Behaviour

• Requests to engage in non-preferred tasks

• Denied access to preferred items

• Academics

• Transitions

• Change in routines

• Climate (e.g. being indoors a lot)

• Pain/illness

Motivating Factors for Disruptive Behaviours:

• Attention/positive consequence. Dr. Koegl explains that if a child screams and the teacher or caregiver approaches them and prompts them to “use your words,” to which the child uses their words, the child has learned that this entire chain is necessary for them to get what they want. Therefore, Dr. Koegl discusses the importance of providing opportunities throughout the day for the child to practice using strategies (e.g. asking for a break) before a disruptive behaviour has occurred to avoid unintentionally reinforcing the unwanted behaviour.

• Escape/avoidance. If the child does not want to be in the classroom they may have learned that if they throw or hit they can leave the room. Therefore, for this child it would be important to teach new strategies for them to leave the room without using unwanted behaviours. For example, they could have a “break card” or a “walk card'“ to use to get a break instead.

• Effective and efficient. Reminder that it is vital to make the replacement strategies just as efficient and effective as the problem behaviours were.

How to Diffuse/Decrease Disruptive Behaviours

1. Stay calm and keep everyone safe.

2. Identify function of behaviour. Why are they doing this? What are they trying to get out of this? Are they getting attention? Is there a positive consequence? Are they trying to escape or avoid something else? Are they motivated or are they bored? Is the information they are learning or the activity they are doing stimulating or is it too easy? These are all important questions to ask yourself to try and get to the root of why this behaviour is occurring in order to appropriately replace it.

3. Teach new behaviours to replace inappropriate behaviours. If the new replacement behaviour takes a long time and is complex, then this may not work. For example, if the child is nonverbal and they have to sign multiple signs (e.g. “I want a break now”) to have a break they may find crying or throwing a more efficient and effective way to get a much needed break. Therefore, a single sign (e.g. “break”) or a symbol with the word break on their desk which they can point to quickly when they need one may be a more effective tool.

4. Other strategies: Warnings before transitions, consistency across caregivers, utilizing their strengths as a reinforcement tool or theme of activity, preferred seating, circulate (research shows if an adult is circulating an area problem behaviours decrease), physical exercise (effects last about 45-60 minutes) and parent participation and education.

Try and remember that no matter how frustrating these behaviours may feel, no one likes disruptive behaviours, including the child. Helping the child express themselves in a more appropriate way before a problem behaviour arises and trying to reduce reinforcement of the behaviour can make a huge difference in the frequency of these behaviours. Check out the reference below if you want more information straight from the source!

-Shannon

References

Koegel, L.K. (2018). Practical Ways to Decrease Challenging Behaviours in School, Home and Community Settings (Parts 1-4). ACT: Setting the Stage for Success. https://www.actcommunity.ca/education/videos/practical-ways-to-decrease-challenging-behaviors-in- school-home-and-community-settings

Developmental Language Disorder

Today is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness day! DLD is a language disorder that is recognized in the DSM-5 as “language problems that create obstacles to communication or learning in everyday life, are unlikely to resolve on their own and are not associated with a known biomedical condition.”

Facts about DLD:

• DLD is quite prevalent (approximately 2 kids in every classroom have DLD). 

• People with DLD are 6x more likely to struggle with learning to read in comparison to their same aged typically developing peers.

• People with DLD can struggle talking (expressive language) and/or understanding (receptive language) 

• Half the students who struggle w reading in primary grades have DLD

• DLD used to be called Specific Language Impairment (SLI), language learning impairment, and language delay

• People with DLD can access supports through SLPs, teachers, and friends and family

Here is a video summarizing DLD from some cute kiddos!

Click here for the Language Disorders textbook I am holding in the picture for this blog on amazon.ca and here for amazon.com.

-S

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one. 

 References:

Paul, R., Norbury, C. & Gosse, C. (2017). Language disorders: From infancy through adolescence (5th edition).St. Louis: Mosby.