Minute Filler document includes core words and examples of how to use the words for needs and wants, getting and giving information, and social interaction. The Mr. Potato Head Five Minute Filler document could easily be sent home for a student to practice using their core words in an adapted play setting. The family and providers would have access to the same document and could highlight words that are used for quick and efficient data collection. Dr. Lilli Nelson’s Theory of active learning states that active learning is based on the belief that ALL children can learn. Chil- dren need environments created that encourage active explo- ration. Parents and caregivers should not interfere with play, meaning we are not guiding the child’s hands or telling the child what they should do. Dr. Lilli Nelson recommends encouraging the child to be an active participant in their own learning by cre- ating spaces and presenting materials that are interesting and safe to explore. The play environment should be responsive, something should happen when a child moves or hits some- thing. The Activity Gym by Enabling Devices incorporates lights and sounds. Providers can change the toys and placement of items. DIY water or sensory walls can be created with household items to encourage active learning exploration.
gether. Using the paper towel roll to whisper words to each oth- er is linked to communication listening and speaking common core standards. Having a child experiment with different sizes of towel rolls and place them inside of each other aligns with math common core standards for sizes and quantities. Providers can use upcycled items and create play experience aligned with the child’s goals. Screen media is often provided to children in place of mean- ingful play. Children with disabilities will require technology to communicate and access toys and games during play. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages all screen media for children less than eighteen months of age, except video chatting with the assistance of a caring adult. For chil- dren ages eighteen to twenty-four months, it is recommended that caregivers use high quality, educational media and use that technology to interact with the child. Further, children two to five years of age should be limited to one hour per day of high-quality screen time, alongside a caring adult who can help them understand what they view and how to apply it to the world around them (AAP,2016). For children who need to access screens, Mount N Mover by Blue Sky Designs can be used to cre- ate an accessible environment for children in multiple settings including a hospital or home care setting. Adapted play includes songs and fingerplays. It is very com- mon for children to passively view videos that include “edu- cational” content and songs. For children to learn and create concepts and connections they need to be actively engaged. Youtube has a place in education and can be very engaging for learners. Songs and fingerplays with actions and imaginative play with music encourage developmentally appropriate play and can be adapted for all learners. Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate is much more interactive with laminated numbers and pumpkins. The child can watch the teacher model the adapted finger play, participate as a group, and retell the finger play inde- pendently after multiple exposures. A child can match the num- bers or objects instead of retelling if that is the stage they are in. The song Looking For Dracula teaches the concepts over, under, around and more. Raffi’s song Apples and Bananas can be paired with pictures or real items to teach vocabulary. The song Going on a Bear Hunt can be used to teach imaginative actions and for students to have access to a peer model’s imaginative ideas and thinking in a group setting. The Core Word Classroom by Assisiveware has free templates and examples for how to incorporate Core Words into play. Core words are the 50 to 500 words that make up most of what we say in typical conversation and writing. The Core Word Modeling Guide provided by Assistiveware includes one-page guides to support the team to model core words to match the language levels of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) learners. The Core Word Five Minute Fillers are one-page quick reference sheets to help you make the most of every opportu- nity and model core words on the fly. The Mr. Potato Head Five
Water Walls DIY Toddler and Baby Sensory Walls
TIPS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUPPORTING PLAY To support boundaries for a child with special needs colored tape can be used to create play boundaries or define the rules of a game. A child’s preferences or restricted interests can be used to expand their play. For a child who likes dinosaurs and is tactilely defensive, have the child hold the dinosaurs and make dinosaur prints instead of touching the play-doh. This can be replicated with shaving cream, water and sand using the child’s preferred toy. The child can have a similar experience to their peers that is adapted for them based on their interests and
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