Top 10 Ways To Teach Children How To Be More Inclusive With Play
- Educate your children about autism, what it means and how a child may present. One of the most important aspects to inclusion is knowledge and understanding of the forms of communication. In most cases, a child will not be able to determine if an individual has autism by looking at them. They will notice it through social interaction.
- Many of the feelings, mannerisms and expressions that a child with autism exhibits, all children experience.
- Be ready to connect and communicate with words. But also with non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions and gestures. Non-verbal forms of communication are observed more by a child with autism.
- Be patient, everyone processes communication and interaction at different speeds. Sometimes individuals need more time.
- Different types of play, parallel versus interactive. Parallel play may be a better non-invasive way to approach a child. For example, each child has a ball and is engaging in basketball versus interactive play when two children are using one ball to pass back and forth.
- Sensory play. Engaging in activities that affect multiple sensory systems such as using different textures, lighting, sounds, scents or movements.
- Indoor versus outdoors. Be flexible, indoor settings provide a more predictable and quiet environment which might be preferred.
- Asking too many questions or open ended questions may be overwhelming. Instead ask questions with yes or no answers.
- Engagement in all activities-snack / lunch times, library, classroom and sports!
- Don’t give up. It takes a few times for a child with autism to engage in play.
