Think Big Little One

I had a lovely visit making a new friend this morning . Some great ways of communicating with me by taking my hand and moving it to what he wanted me to help with. The coin pig was a great hit along with the pop up toy and groany shape sorter . We also spent along time with a sparkly curiosity box putting it in and out and moving it around showing engagement and great concentration

Lovely visit to a nursery observing language development today!
Tuff trays are a great way of creating an imaginative environment that brings lots of language and creativity. As the day went on more and more things got added to the tray and the although dinosaurs, spades and diggers don’t necessarily go together lots of fun was had and lots of language was recorded 😄

Lots of parent say my child has really good understanding but just can’t speak . Often when you break that down lots of children have learnt brilliant cues that get them through the day.
We often follow a similar routine so it’s natural for a child to have learnt cues like sit down for breakfast , get your shoes, wash your hands. As parent so we offer lots of physical prompts like pointing , gesturing or looking in the direction of what we want the child to do. When I watch in nurseries lots of children watch and follow their peers to get through the daily routine .

Give it a try, give your child minimal cues or a change in routine for what you want and can they do what is being asked ??

This is a lovely resource that highlights that speech and language support doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive it can be part of your every day routine!
The I can charity has lots of free resources to support parents and practitioners with language development . They offer online courses , outreach programmes in areas of the country and can offer practical help to families that need it

https://ican.org.uk/media/2605/finalcwcbooklet.pdf

Having a dedicated ‘chill out’ calm down time area can work really well!! It gives your child a safe place to wind down and rela if they are having a tough time. Putting soft pillows and blankets, favourite light up toys and things that calm them down will provide the perfect space to feel safe and comfy !

Now fidget toys are everywhere but they used to be recommended by therapist for children with autism and anxiety.
They are easy to get hold of and might help when your little one is feeling overwhelmed or anxious if you create a fidget box with age appropriate toys in it .
Whilst concentrating on the feel, the texture , the sound or the action of the toy the child can block out any other stimulus they might be finding stressful!

https://www.autism-products.com/product-category/fidgets/

Communication boards are great and can allow a child with good understanding but limited language the chance to express themselves .
I’ve used it on the classroom to encourage a child to make choices about what equipment they want to use. They used their finger to point and another child I taught used an aided communication device and just used his eye gaze to communicate .. pretty amazing stuff that can open up a whole world of communication .

“A communication board is a device that displays photos, symbols, or illustrations to help people with limited language skills express themselves. The user can gesture, point to, or blink at images to communicate with others. Communication boards are one type of augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) device” healthline.com

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year and back into routines of work, nursery or pre school.
Although my two are older they still display levels of anxiety about going back to school after a break and haven’t slept well, Timmy aches and I saw more challenging behaviours with the lead up of school starting.
The nhs website have some great ways of describing anxiety and ways of dealing with it and this starts from separation anxiety which is a normal stage of development in early years to dealing with worry and anxiety about new situations. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/anxiety-in-children/

Have a very lovely Christmas Day!!

My dad stumbled across this brilliant page on fb https://www.facebook.com/climbing.rainbow this wonderful mummy has first hand experience in supporting her boy with additional needs and the page offers brilliant tips, ideas and lots of free visual support resources!

This was one of her fab ideas for those children that don’t like surprises and find it super stressful at Christmas wrap up presents in cellophane so they can see what’s coming !

As I’ve said before all you mums are doing a great job ! Go easy on yourself this Christmas !! If it doesn’t fit in with you and childs needs say it’s doesn’t ! Don’t end up at a family party that is noisy, busy and loud if you know your child will not like it! Look after your little family and look after yourself!

I’ve been to some lovely Christmas parties this week at the nurseries I support and they’ve been great fun! They were also aware that routines and structure are an important part of some childrens needs. Rather than saying don’t come in they’ve turned bucket time in to a Christmas Theme , we’ve been exchanging with pecs for super sparkly Christmas toys and intensive interaction with Christmas balloons and cars was great fun!