It isn’t impossible to get an autistic child to play and have fun. It can be challenging at times, but never impossible. Here are great ways to play with them so they develop one way or the other.
Exploration
The main purpose of exploratory play is to help an autistic child learn about their world. What you need to do is hand them random objects and allow them to explore them by touching, feeling, sniffing, even mouthing.
You could hand them a teddy and let them touch and squeeze. But you can also get them engaged in exploratory play while they engage in everyday activities, such as having a bath for instance. You can encourage them to splash water, try holding it in their cupped hands, and blowing on the soapy foam.
Cause and Effect
This type of play involves objects or toys which require you to do some action to see a result. A simple example would be sound or musical toys where sounds and music play when you press a button. In other words, press a button and music will play!This way, children learn that their actions actually have an effect. Thereby, they develop a sense of control, too.
Playing with Toys
It is very important to select the right games and toys for autistic children if you want them to learn effectively. When it comes to playing with different types of toys, you will make sure that for a start, you carefully choose a set of toys so they can easily learn the way each of them is used or played with. For example, they could learn how to play with a push car, or to place a toy phone over the ear. This encourages thinking and problem solving quite effectively.
Constructive Play
Constructive play is the type of play where children do a certain activity that has a goal. A simple example of this type of play would be completing a jigsaw puzzle, making towers with blocks, even drawing and colouring a picture. These activities, again, are great for developing problem solving abilities, and motor skills, too.
Physical Play
Physical play, as the term implies, involves any activity that gives children exercise. These include running, jumping, chasing, and so on. This is such a great way to encourage an autistic child to explore his or her environment and also interact with those around, giving them small chances to socialize in a fun manner. There are plenty of outdoor activities you could try, as well as activities that involve dance and play. Just make sure they are appropriate in the given context.
Pretend Play
Here, children are encouraged to pretend to do certain actions, or to be someone. Pretending to drive a car, to sail a ship, or to be superman are all simple examples. This type of play helps develop communication and language abilities in children. There are loads of things you can try under pretend play. If you want to start small, you can get your little girl dress her doll up, and in turn, encourage her to dress herself to look the same. This way, you help her grow her imaginations, and also to do basic actions on her own.
