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re:Strategies for Floor...
Strategies for Floor Time Intervention
follow the child's lead and join them - it does not matter what they do as long as they initiate the move
persist in your pursuit
treat what the child does as intentional and purposeful - give new meanings
help the child do what they want to do
position yourself in front of the child
invest in whatever the child initiates or imitates
join perseverative play
do not treat avoidance or "no"as rejection
expand, expand, expand - keep going, play dumb, do wrong moves, do as told, interfere etc.
do not interrupt or change the subject as long as it is interactive
insist on a response (encourage the child to close the circle)
do not turn the session into a learning or teaching experience
Opening the Symbolic Door
get engaged at any level
get intentional - build on any intent, problem solving, corner or undoing
heighten affect - at every level, all emotions are equal
Strategies for Engagement and Two-way Communication
Give the child’s seemingly random actions new meanings by responding to them as if they were purposeful.
Use sensory-motor play -- bouncing, tickling, swinging, and so on -- to elicit pleasure.
Use sensory toys in cause-and-effect ways: hide a toy, then make it magically reappear; drop a belled toy so that the child will hear the jingle; bring a tickle feather closer, closer, closer until finally you tickle child with it.
Play infant games, such as peekaboo, I'm going to get you, and patty cake.
Play verbal Ping-Pong with the child, responding to every sound or word the child makes and continue the ping pong match to expand the number of circles closed.
Pursue pleasure over other behaviors and do not interrupt any pleasurable experience.
Use gestures, tone of voice, and body language to accentuate the emotion in what you say and do.
Try to be as accepting of the child's anger and protests as you are of the child's more positive emotions.
Help the child deal with anxiety (separation, getting hurt, aggression, loss, fear, and so on) by using gestures and problem solving.
Following the Child's Lead
have symbolic toys available
recognize and create opportunities
cue or model symbolic actions
be meaningful
make it easy
persist through - affect cues - affect pacing-wait/speed up
personalize
be a player - join in
expand and keep going
do not change the subject
Creating and Expanding Ideas
treat every object or action as an idea!
you do not need permission to play
do not "read" or just describe
talk to the child in a role - as an actor or with a figure
take on a role and talk through the role
build on real experiences - bridge to what would happen next
wait for child to make the next move - then give choices or model the next step
resist the temptation to take over
"Appreciate" child's need for control
try to build bridges between ideas
give reasons for your or the child's actions
problem solve and assist in the finding of a solution
make ideas more complex and more elaborate
Constructive Obstruction
to Extend Problem Solving
The child will be surprised, amused or frustrated when faced with the changes and obstacles you create for them.
Approach the child with a supportive attitude, sharing surprise, Oh no what happened? What's the matter?
Help the child solve the problem, but wait for the child to recognize the problem first and then encourage the process.
Stretch the problem as long as possible by playing dumb
Offering wrong solutions so the child can check out several alternatives
Ask questions and opinions about what they want, etc.
Remember: The goal is not to frustrate the child but to mobilize the child's thinking and acting in face of something which matters personally to him or her.
Helping The Child Build A Symbolic World
Identify real-life experiences the child knows and enjoys and have toys and props available to play out those experiences
Respond to the child's real desires through pretend actions
Allow the child to discover what is real and what is a toy
Encourage role playing with dress-up props, use puppets - the child may prefer to be the actor before using symbolic figures
Use a specific set of figures/dolls to represent family members and identify other figures with familiar names
Give symbolic meaning to objects as you play:
Some Examples -
When the child climbs to top of the sofa, pretend the child is climbing a tall mountain.
When the child slides down the slide at the playground, pretend the child is sliding into the ocean and watch out for the fish.
Substitute one object for another when props are needed. Pretend that the ball is a cake or the spoon is a birthday candle.
Resume use of gestures for props along with toy objects and substitutes
As you play, help the child elaborate on personal intentions.
Ask who is driving the car,
where the car is going,
whether the child has enough money,
did the child remember the keys to the car,
why is the child going there,
why not somewhere else, etc.
Expand as long as you can. (Use all of the Who, What, Where, Why, When questions, and keep them open ended)
Make use of breakdowns.
When a problem crops up during play, create symbolic solutions.
Get the doctor kit when the doll falls so the child can help the hurt doll, tool kit for broken car.
Acknowledge the child's disappointment and encourage empathy.
Get involved in the drama.
Be a player and take on a role with your figure.
Talk directly to the dolls rather than questioning child about what is happening or narrating
Both help the child and be your own player.
Talk as an ally (perhaps whispering), but also have your figure oppose or challenge the child's ideas.
Insert obstacles into the play. (e.g.: make your bus block the road. Then speaking as a character, challenge child to respond. If necessary, get increasingly urgent (whispering to child to encourage to deal with the problem, offer help if needed by becoming an ally).
Use symbolic figures the child knows and loves, such as Barney, Disney or Sesame Street characters, to generate symbolic play. Reenact familiar scenes or songs, create new ideas, and notice characters and themes child may be avoiding or fear.
Use play to help the child understand and master ideas/themes, which may have been frightening. Work on fantasy and reality.
Let the child be the director. Child's play need not be realistic (the child may still be a magical thinker) but encourage logical thinking.
Focus on the process as you play; which character to be, what props are needed when ideas have changed, what the problem is, when to end the idea, etc. Identify the beginning, middle and end.
As you play, match your tone of voice to the situation. Pretend to cry when a character is hurt, cheer loudly when your character is happy, speak in rough or spooky tones when you are playing the bad guy. Remember, drama, drama, drama to give the child affect cues.
Reflect on the ideas and feelings in the story both while playing and later on as you would with other real life experiences
Discuss the child's abstract themes such as good guy/bad guy, separation/loss, and various emotions such as closeness, fear, jealousy, anger, bossy, competition, etc.
Remember, symbolic play and conversation is the safe way to practice, reenact, understand and master the full range of emotional ideas and experiences.
Developing Abstract Thinking
Follow the child's lead, build on the child's ideas
Challenge the child to create new ideas in pretend play
Heighten affect and engagement
Practice and expand rapid back and forth interactions and conversations (gesturally and verbally)
Carry on logical conversations all the time (e.g.: while driving, at meals, during baths etc.) Content does not have to be realistic
Encourage understanding of fantasy-reality
Recognize fears and avoidance of certain feelings, themes and characters.
During play and conversations, get the beginning, middle and end of the story or idea - identify problems to be solved, motives and feelings - accept all feelings and encourage empathy
Select books to read that have themes, motives and problems to solve - discuss alternative outcomes, feelings
Encourage abstract thinking:
Ask why questions
Ask for opinions
Compare and contrast different points of view
Reflect on feelings - come back to experiences again later
Don't ask questions you know the answer to
Don't tell the child which dimensions to use
Use visualization - picture yourself
Avoid rote, fragmented, academic questions
Be creative
Some Examples -
If the child puts his foot in pretend pool, ask if it's cold.
If the child is thirsty, offer her an empty cup or invite her to a tea party
If the child is hungry, open a toy refrigerator and offer some food, pretend to cook, or ask if he will go to pretend market with you to get things to eat.
If the child want to leave, give her pretend keys or a toy car
If the child lies down on the floor or couch, get a blanket or pillow, turn off the lights, and sing a lullaby.
Encourage role playing with dress-up props, use puppets - child may prefer to be the actor before the child uses symbolic figures.
Use a specific set of figures/dolls to represent family members and identify other figures with familiar names.
Get involved in the drama. Be a player and take on a role with your own figure. Talk directly to the dolls rather than questioning child about what is happening or narrating.
Developing Motor Planning Abilities
Encourage "undoing"
Examples -
Move an object in line
Cover a desired object
Put a puzzle piece in wrong place
Bury desired objects under other toys and very different objects
Hide the desired object from the place where child last put it
Provide destinations for actions - treat every act as intentional and symbolic
Child throws a ball - catch it in basket
Child holds figure (little person, animal) -bring over toy slide, school bus, food (if child does not use spontaneously, ask if the figure would like to... give choices if needed...ask figure directly...try not to direct)
Child taps - bring over drums (can be plate, plastic toy, sticks etc)
Child rolls car - bring over garage, crash into it, block with figure
Child reaches for hand - play give me five, variations, dance
Create problems to solve - require multiple steps
Put desired objects in boxes to open, untie, remove tape or rubber band
Pretend an object needs to be fixed using tools, tape, rubber bands, Band-Aids (symbolic)
Create obstacles for the child to get around, move, or restore to the correct position
hold a book to read upside down and/or backwards
Offer pens/markers which do not work
Sit in the child's special place
Get to where the child is running first
Hide an object the child desires in one hand or the other so that the child can choose
When the child seeks your hand instead of using his own hand, put your hands on your head or in your pocket
Put socks on the child's hands instead of feet
Give the child your shoes to put on
Make the desired toy/object a moving target (move from place to place)
Be playful and supportive as you encourage and expand interactions
Change the environment frequently to encourage flexibility, create problems and expand discussion
Move expected objects (change drawer content, change content in baskets)
Rearrange furniture and create problems (child finds chair upside down, or is told to sit down when chair is across the room)
Hang up pictures from magazines at eye level and change frequently
Encourage the child to initiate/continue action
Ready, set, Go!
Put the toy the child was using back in the child's hand. (Oh, you dropped, forgot)
provide cues - uh oh, knock, knock, help
Use indirect prompts (call the figures to come, where are you?)
Bring over the next step (puppet to eat pretend food, mirror to see the hat etc.)
Trade objects, positions
Deal with the consequences of actions symbolically
Baby doll falls (is dropped) - Uh oh! He's crying. Are you hurt? Get a bandage. Go to the doctor. Call an ambulance...
Car crashes - Oh no, it's broken! Can you fix it mechanic?
Basket is dropped - What a mess! What do we do now?
Model/mediate the sequence of actions needed to solve problems
Plan your idea - discuss what the child will need for their ideas
Get toys/props the child will need
Identify settings and destinations
While playing, identify problems and sequence of solutions
Identify beginning, middle and end
Challenge, reason, negotiate
Play interactive song-hand games
Itsy bitsy spider
one potato two potato
slap my hand
sailor went to sea, sea, sea
Play Treasure Hunt and use maps (use visual and verbal cues)
Play games
Social playground/party games
Board games (cognitively challenging)
Cooking
Drama
Arts and craft activities
Encourage athletic activities
Individual sports such as tennis, roller skating, shooting baskets, ice skating
group sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball
Gymnastics
Tae Kwon Do
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