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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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