Adapted Play in Early Childhood

needs. One child may be practicing pointing their finger and not yet ready to hold a writing utensil. A child who may not yet be ready to hold a pencil or crayon can write or draw using shaving cream or sand on a cookie sheet using their finger. A stylus can be used or pencil if the child does not want to touch the shaving cream or sand.

Communication Placemats

the child likes one zoo animal you can create communication placemats with the preferred animal and other animals. Peers can join the table with the placemats and toys. The provider can model and introduce new animals and ways to imaginatively play. The placemats can also include other prompts, sign lan- guage cues or visuals specific to the child’s needs during play. The 5 point feeling scale created by Kari Dunn-Buron can be used to assist with transitions during play. Young children have strong feelings and often need assistance identifying their feel- ings and expressing them especially when the child has com- munication or other delays. The five point feeling scale can be laminated and placed on yarn to create a necklace. When the child is upset the teacher or a peer can point to the feeling scale and talk through the problem. It can be posted around the class- room to support all children. The Second Step Curriculum is a tool that can be used to support young children with disabilities to navigate strong feelings. The curriculum includes visuals and posters that describe feelings. The curriculum teaches children strategies for calming down and solving problems during play. A child that is in a wheelchair will need their play space to be created. First, the classroom will need to have enough room for the child to navigate their chair to each play area. One option to create a play space on the chair would be on a tray for a stander or wheelchair. A two-inch suction cup dent puller can be used to create a boundary when a child is rolling toys on their tray. A pool noodle can also be cut in half and taped or velcroed to create a play space boundary. While it is important for children to learn that items can be dropped, it is essential that they have access to their toys. The placement of the toys and the boundaries are

Often fluorescent lighting can be distracting and for some children painful. Play areas can be dimly lit or fluorescent light fixtures can be covered with blue coverings to dim the light. A child may need tinted glasses or a hat to dim the lighting in some areas of the school or center. For a child that is transition- ing from the home setting to a school or daycare setting and is sensitive to loud sounds, you can record the sounds of a busy classroom and introduce the child to them at home. As the child is introduced to the sounds noise-cancelling headphones can be offered to support lessening the loud sound experience. The lunchroom and playtime (or center time) are often very noisy times of the day in early childhood settings. For a child to be suc- cessful during playtime they will need to be prepared for loud noises. A child who is not able to adjust to the loud sounds may need headphones for certain loud play activities such as blocks. Children with special needs may have difficulty entering a playgroup. Some children may need something to keep their hands busy as they navigate entering a playgroup. Spiral hair ties, spiral key rings, and spinner toys all work well. They are small and can be placed in a pocket or placed on yarn for a neck- lace to be easily accessible when needed. Young children who have a tendency to hit their peers during classroom transitions may also benefit from holding a soft spiral hair tie or key ring to keep their hands occupied. A social narrative should be used as an intervention to support a child to enter a play area calmly and successfully navigate play transitions. A child who has restricted interests or preferences can be in- troduced to new concepts using communication placemats. If

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