Activities & Play

verzija na hrvatskom jeziku (in Croatian language)
While working with children who are either easily over-stimulated or mostly under-stimulated, I noticed that keeping them in balance, also called regulated, is very important. That is the best time for those kids to learn new things – whether that is planning a new motor skill, improving your fine motor skills, getting out a new word or a song or just getting the child’s attention. I found that if you follow these few simple steps in your play and everyday interaction with a child, they will be regulated more often, for a longer time and will learn better and faster. Of course, children are different, so their interests and possibilities are different, too.

• Use the opportunity of each play time to enhance the sensory integration of your child. I have written some posts with ideas on how and where, so please feel free to browse through the blog and find what suits you and your child the best.
• Make sure your child has control over the activities and situations happening around them. I found that very often children disengage or become disregulated when they lose control. Try asking them (verbally or non-verbally) to choose the game, to choose the course of action etc. and stick to their wishes. Not only do they get the control, but it increases self confidence, too.
• If you put some challenges in front of a child, make sure they can successfully achieve them. You can always gradually enhance the challenge if it was too easy.
• Give your child some time to do the tasks you put in front of them. Sometimes it takes a bit longer or it takes a run in a circle, a jump or two or a minute of swinging before the child can do the task. However, if you see the child is continuously failing and getting frustrated, of course help them and reduce the challenge or a task by a degree, and start again.

I am always available to further discuss some ideas, so please contact me.