The Role of Playtime in Children with Special Needs

Playtime is crucial for younger kids as it play a decisive role in their brain development. Playtime helps the little ones to express their feelings and learn important skills necessary to lead a better life in the future. If your child is suffering from any kind of disability, you should always encourage him/her to play and enjoy the playtime to the fullest. Unstructured play seems to be the most helpful, allowing kids to do whatever they would like to.

When it comes to the need for stimulation and learning through play, kids with special needs are of no exception. The only difference is that they can’t explore things the same way and they have to depend on someone to take them out into it.
For children with special needs, there are certain pre-school activities and handicap playground equipment, readily available to help them keep engaged and focused.

How Playtime Can Help Your Child With Special Need Grow?

• Develop Mindfulness
  When you take a specially-abled child into the playground, they behave differently. All they do is run out onto the grass barefoot on the way to the trampoline. Taking them onto the trampoline is an awesome experience for parents. Let their toes touch grasses, to smell a flower or admire a butterfly. These little things develop their mind and equation with others.

• Support Social Inclusion
  Kids are always curious about a child who is different and this curiosity serves as an opportunity to build friendship. Children can be extremely unique in finding ways to accommodate their differently-able friends. You just need to remember one thing, where inclusion is encouraged, scope for learning and growth are multiplied.

• Make Your Best Effort to Adapt
  Don’t just prevent a particular activity because of your child’s disability. Look for ways to adapt the activity to meet the child’s abilities. Heights of play-tables can be adjusted. If needed install ramps, use supportive cushions for positioning so that the wheelchair can reach.

• Independence
  Kids with special needs require a lot of help in most areas of their lives but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage them the smallest independent acts. It is really tempting to see a child trying hard to climb up and help him do so. Don’t do so. Let them work it out for themselves.

If you really want to make your little one happy, it’s important to provide them the space they need. Playtime is the best way to help them encourage for a positive change in their attitude. The more you will let them play, the more they will learn and get in touch with good things.