Autistic children's games

Bathing the dolls

Bathe the naked dolls in warm water, rub them with a washcloth and soap, wrap them in a towel: “Now we will bathe the dolls. Let's pour warm water into the bath - try some water with a pen, is it warm? Excellent. And here are our dolls. What are their names? This is Katya, and this is Misha. Who will swim first? Katia? Good. Let's ask Katya, does she like some water? Not hot? etc.

Washing the dishes

Wash the dishes after the puppet dinner using a sponge and dishwashing liquid: “We will wash the dishes. Open the faucet! What kind of water is here? Hot. And here? Cold. Let's open both cold water and hot water - then we get warm water. from so rub a plate with a sponge. Now let's rinse. The dishes are clean!” nine0005

Bubble games

Children love to watch bubbles swirl and run around the room screaming with delight until they “catch” every single one of them and immediately ask for repetition. But they often refuse to blow bubbles themselves - this requires skill and a certain level of breathing development. We offer to pre-prepare the child for the game with soap bubbles. To do this, you need to teach him to blow strongly, to direct the stream of air in the right direction. We offer the following games:

- “It snowed” - blow on a piece of fleece in the air so that it does not fall.

- “Sail, boat!” - blow on a small light boat on the water (for example, while swimming).

- "Turntable" - blow on a spinner toy.

- "Roll, ball!" - blow on a small ball (for example, for ping-pong), you can blow through a straw.

- "Bulki" - blow through a straw into a glass half filled with water. The game will show whether the child has formed a purposeful exhalation and whether he blows strongly. nine0005

Soap bubbles

To arouse your child's interest in self-blowing bubbles, offer him, in addition to the frame from the purchased bubble, a variety of tubes - for this, take (after discussing with the child the goal) a cocktail tube from McDonald's or roll it up and glue from thick paper a thick pipe. To get a large bubble, a small plastic bottle with a cut off bottom is also suitable. You can disassemble the gel pen and use its body - a transparent tube made of hard plastic (in this case, the child will not bite or bend the tube). nine0005

Foam Castle

Pour some water into a small bowl, add dishwashing liquid and stir. Take a wide cocktail tube, lower it into a bowl and start blowing - with a loud gurgling, a cloud of iridescent bubbles will grow in front of the child's eyes. Invite the child to blow with you, then independently. Place a plastic or rubber toy inside the foam - this is the "prince who lives in the foam castle."

Candle games

Prepare a set of candles - regular long, floating candles, small birthday cake candles.

Let's blow on the light

Set the long candle steady and light: "Look, the candle is burning - how beautiful!" Remember that the child may be frightened - then postpone the game. If the reaction is positive, offer to blow on the flame: “Now let's blow ... Stronger, like this - oh, the light went out. Look at the smoke rising." Most likely, the child will ask you to light the candle again. In addition to enjoyment, blowing out the flame of a candle is good for the development of breathing. nine0005

Walking in the dark

Leave your mother a “homework assignment”: when it gets dark, do not turn on the electric light in the apartment, but light a candle and walk around the house with it, lighting the way.

Drawing with smoke

Holding an extinguished candle in your hand, draw smoke in the air: “Look how smoke is in the air! Can you smell it?" Then blow or wave your hand a few times to dissipate the smoke.

Water party

After filling the basin with water, lower one or more floating candles onto its surface - in a dark room (for example, in a bathroom with a closed door) you will get a spectacular spectacle with light reflections shimmering in the water. For stability, you can put candles on plastic plates from doll dishes.

Cold - Hot

Fill a tablespoon with water and hold it over the candle flame, drawing the child's attention to the fact that the cold water has become warm. You can also melt a piece of ice, ice cream or butter. “You can’t touch the light - it’s hot! You can get burned. Let's hold a piece of ice over the flame. Look, the ice is melting. " nine0005

Birthday

Make marshmallows in chocolate or marshmallow and stick one or more festive candles - today is Bear's Birthday. Set the table with your child, invite guests, sing a song. Then solemnly bring in the “birthday cake” and blow out the candles.

Games with light and shadows

Sunny bunny

Having chosen the moment when the sun looks through the window, catch a ray with a mirror and try to draw the baby’s attention to how the sunny “bunny” jumps on the wall, on the ceiling , from the wall to the sofa, etc. He may want to touch the spot of light. Then slowly move the beam to the side: try to attract the child to the game - offer to catch the fleeing "bunny". If the kid liked the game, switch roles: give him a mirror, show him how to catch the beam, and then stand against the wall. Try to “catch” a speck of light very emotionally, while not forgetting to comment on your actions: “I’ll catch it! What a smart bunny - how fast it runs! Oh, and now it’s on the ceiling, you can’t get it . .. Come on, hare, come down to us! The laughter of a child will be your best reward. nine0005

Shadows on the wall

When it gets dark, turn on the table lamp and shine it on the wall. With the help of your hands, you will get on the wall the shadow of a barking dog, a flying bird, etc. You can use various objects and toys. The child may be frightened, so try carefully and the first time you play such a game is not in the children's room. In the event of a fright, the child's fear will be firmly connected in his mind with the place where the child experienced it, with a specific table lamp. Try to start in the corridor, but rather on the street, in the light of a lantern. nine0005

Shadow theater

You can come up with a simple plot and organize a whole “shadow theater”, for which you can use paper silhouettes prepared in advance.

Flashlight

Prepare an electric flashlight and when it gets dark, walk around the apartment with a flashlight. A flashlight will come in handy if a bulb has burned out, while walking along the dark alleys of the park where there are no lamps, etc.

Dark - light

Use a flashlight to light up the dollhouse or playhouse you can build from the big box.

Chinese lantern

Pasting the wire frame with colored paper and fixing a small lantern inside, you get a "Chinese lantern" that will illuminate everything around with a mysterious light.

Ice games

Ice floes

Let mother prepare ice in advance: together with the child, fill the ice mold with water and put it in the freezer. At the lesson, take out the ice and, together with the child, squeeze it out of the mold into a bowl: “Look how the water has frozen - it has become cold and hard.” Warm a piece of ice in your palm: “Oh, what a cold piece of ice! And the handle is warm - let's squeeze it in the palm of your hand. Look, the water is dripping - it's the ice that melts and turns back into water. nine0005

Ice is melting

Heat a piece of ice over a candle flame or over a stove. Or, pour hot water into a glass glass (you can tint it), lower a piece of ice and watch how quickly it melts. You can take several glasses and watch how ice melts differently in water of different temperatures.

And when the child is drinking very hot tea, add a piece of ice to the cup of tea to “cool the tea faster”. You can also cool the juice for the bear, the bear drinks and says: “Oh, what a cold juice!” nine0005

Colored ice

Colored ice can be made by adding colors to water. Or paint on a large piece of ice.

Ice figures

Freeze water not only in special molds. Also use plastic cups, candy molds to get ice cubes of different shapes and sizes. Use them as a constructor - lay out patterns (preferably on a uniform colored background). Make an ice pyramid or house out of ice. nine0005

icicles

In the winter, pay attention to icy puddles, icicles, etc. In winter.

Games with cereals

Prepare cereals: buckwheat, style cereals, beans, rice. The class is held in the kitchen.

Hiding the handles

Pour the buckwheat into a deep bowl, dip your hands into it and move your fingers, feel its structure. Expressing pleasure with a smile and words, invite the child to join in: “Where are my hands? We hid. Let's hide your hands. Move your fingers - so nice! Now rub your palms together - it pricks a little, right? Hide small toys by burying them in grits and then look for them. In the following classes, you can use other cereals. nine0005

Pour the cereal

Pour the cereal with a scoop, spoon, glass from one container to another. Pour the cereal in your hands, drawing the child's attention to the sound extracted at the same time.

Rain, hail

The child may want to scatter cereal. In this case, it will be very difficult to stop him. Be prepared for this development of events - let the child do this by controlling his actions. Let the crumbling grain become “rain” or “hail”, and from that moment the sensory play becomes therapeutic. On the croup scattered on the floor, you can walk in socks or barefoot. You can sprinkle cereal on the neck or bare back of the child, if he allows. At the end of such a game, organize cleaning. nine0005

Let's feed the birds

In this game you will need buckwheat or rice groats and toy figures of birds - these can be sparrows, or chickens, ducks. “Here the birds flew to us: pee-pee-pee! The birds are asking for food. What do birds eat? Yes, grains. Let's fill the birds with grains. Eat, birds, grains!

Delicious porridge

After adding water to the semolina, cook a “porridge” for the doll, and then feed it. Together with your child, cook real porridge, let him get the pan, fill in the cereal, stir the porridge with a spoon. You can “cook” other food for dolls from cereals - for example, if you press peas into a piece of brown plasticine, you get “chocolate with nuts”. nine0005

Divide into bowls

Mix some beans and peas in a bowl. Then ask the child to separate the peas and beans and put them on separate plates: “Look, the peas and beans are mixed. Let's put the peas on this plate, and the beans on this one.

Games with plastic materials

(plasticine, dough, clay)

Let us state in advance that the use of some materials is impossible due to the increased squeamishness of an autistic child. He may throw away the dough in disgust, because it sticks to his hands, he will not dare to touch the clay, he will refuse to work with plasticine if it is smeared or smells unpleasant. Choose environmentally friendly unflavored plasticine in natural colors, soft enough, but not sticky to your hands. In this case, your choice will not always coincide with the choice of the child. However, experience shows that it is possible to find material that a child will enjoy. To work with plastic materials, you should teach your child some skills to work with them:

- Mnem and pinch off. Prepare a block of plasticine and invite the child to hold it in his hands, crush it with his fingers, and pinch off a few small pieces. Such actions will introduce the child to the soft and plastic texture of the material, give a variety of tactile sensations to the fingers. Next time, offer your child a piece of dough, then clay. Please note that different materials are not similar to the touch, have different properties.

- Apply pressure and smear. Teach your child to press a piece of plasticine against a board or a sheet of cardboard with a pressing movement of the index finger (the result should be a round cake). If you first press your finger on the plasticine, and then move your finger, then in this way (smearing) we get a plasticine line. nine0005

– Rolling into balls, rolling into sausages. Show your child the two basic modeling techniques (rolling balls in a circular motion and rolling sausages back and forth): on the plane of the table or between the palms if we are working with a large piece, or between fingers (thumb and forefinger, or thumb and middle), if a piece of plasticine little. At first, act with the hands of the child (if he does not resist). Then invite your child to try doing it on their own. Usually, the implementation of these simple techniques, especially rolling, does not cause great difficulties for the child. nine0005

– Cut into pieces. Teach your child to cut plasticine or dough into pieces of various sizes using a plastic stack.

After the child learns each technique separately, you can combine different methods in one game. For example, when we “make pies”, we crumple, roll out, and cut.

Plasticine pictures

When creating plasticine pictures, pressure and smearing methods are used. In such a simple way, you can quickly make a wide variety of “pictures” from plasticine: smear green plasticine on cardboard - this is “grass”, pinch off small pieces from a bar of red plasticine and stick them - you get a “clearing with berries”. In the same way, “goldfish” will swim in the blue pond, and a yellow plasticine “sun” with rays will appear on the blue cardboard. Smear multi-colored pieces of plasticine on a dark background - you get a “salute”. And if you press multi-colored plasticine cakes to a cardboard circle, you get “sweets on a plate”. nine0005

Cooking

We roll small balls of red plasticine - we get “berries”, and multi-colored balls become “candies” or “vitamins”. If you stick sticks into multi-colored plasticine balls (you can use “ear sticks” after removing cotton wool), you get “chupa-chups” fruit candies. We roll out a piece of red plasticine - we get a “sausage”, and if we roll out white plasticine thinly, we put it on a plate of “spaghetti”. Cut a piece of light brown plasticine into pieces - this is “bread”. nine0005

So, the "treat" is ready, we invite the puppets to the "Dinner". You can fashion a festive cake from pieces of plasticine of different colors, insert a candle and organize a “Birthday”. When you start the dough, give the child a piece and try to organize the modeling of "pies" with him.

Vegetable garden

Lay plasticine beds on a piece of thick cardboard. Now “plant vegetables”, for this you can use cereals - so, peas will become “turnip”, and red beans will become “potatoes”; multi-colored mosaic will turn into "red tomatoes" and "green cucumbers"; some vegetables (for example, “carrots”) can be tried to be molded from plasticine. nine0005

If the child likes this game, you can think of other vegetables. Similarly, “berries and mushrooms” will grow in the forest, and “flowers” ​​from the mosaic will grow in the clearing.

Games with sounds

Let's listen to sounds

The world around us is filled with various sounds. Pay attention to them - listen with him to the creak of the door, the sound of a spoon against the walls of the cup when you stir tea, the clink of glasses, the squeak of brakes, the sound of train wheels, etc.

Let's knock, let's rattle!

Make a variety of sounds from objects: tap wooden (or metal) spoons against each other, run a stick over a radiator, tap your knuckles on glass.

Find the same box

Pour different cereals into small boxes (there should be two boxes with the same cereal). Shake the box, drawing the child's attention to the sound, and let him find a box that sounds the same. In addition to cereals, you can use beads, pebbles and other materials. Increase the number of pairs of boxes gradually. nine0005

Walks

Get a variety of sounding toys for a child - rattles, whistles, squeaks, etc. harmonica, piano. When the child learns to distinguish their sound by ear, to play them correctly, use his skills in story games - “The bear has a birthday. Let's play the piano for him," when we sing a song about Antoshka, we play the harmonica, etc.

Sounds of nature

Once in nature, together with your child, listen attentively to the sounds around you - the rustle of leaves, the buzzing of a fly, the murmur of a stream... The sounds of nature in themselves bring calm and harmony.

Rhythm games

Rhythm games provide new opportunities for the development of an autistic child. Using the child's interest in rhythm and melody can help "disinhibit" his speech, develop imitation, and cause motor activity. In rhythm games, use the following techniques:

– hand clapping;

- stamping feet;

- jumping in a certain rhythm;

- dancing;

- pronunciation of the texts of poems;

- singing children's songs.

The use of poems, nursery rhymes, songs in work with an autistic child involves:

– Accompanying the text with movements;

- Playing the story with toys;

- Showing plot pictures (in the future, such a picture will "start" the child singing a song). nine0005

In this case, one should proceed from the principles of simplicity (movements should not be complicated) and accessibility of the plot for children's perception. In addition, the poem or song must be liked by the child. Introduce rhymes and songs gradually, giving the child the opportunity to choose those that he likes best.

First, an adult reads a poem or sings a song on his own, accompanying them with movements. When the child remembers the text, the teacher, stopping during pronunciation or singing, gives the child the opportunity to complete or finish singing the last word in the line, and possibly the whole line. At the same time, the teacher encourages the child to repeat the expressive movement that accompanies singing or pronunciation. The same work is continued by the mother. If you do this for a long time, the moment will come when the child will begin to sing and pronounce poems on his own, at his own request. But if you carefully listen to the child's independent singing or his repetition of a poem, it becomes obvious that the meaning of the words for him often remains incomprehensible. However, in any case, such speech activity is useful. Often it is during the lessons with rhythms that the child makes the first attempts to use active speech. nine0005

Clarification of the semantic content of the texts used can be achieved by showing actions, using pictures, toys, playing stories. In addition, if such a game is accompanied by the display of a plot picture or toy, then the text of the song or verse is associated in the child with a certain image - an object or image. As a result, the child, seeing the harmonica, begins to play on it and sing a song about Antoshka, and, having noticed a picture of geese, begins to sing a song about merry geese. nine0005

We recommend starting classes with the following texts: songs - “Antoshka”, “Song of a Lion Cub and a Turtle”, “Two Cheerful Geese Lived with Grandma”, “Chunga-Changa”, “Song of Gena the Crocodile”; nursery rhymes - “Okay”, “A horned goat is walking”, “A woman sowed peas”, “Big feet are walking along the road”; A cycle of poems "Toys" by Agnia Barto.

Let's make a reservation: conducting games with rhythms with an autistic child, the teacher may encounter some difficulties. An autistic child often does not pay attention to the movements of an adult and, moreover, does not repeat them, preferring to live according to his own internal rhythm. Therefore, special efforts are needed to involve the child in rhythmic actions and teach him to voluntarily control the movements of his own body. this can help the selection of the most interesting games for the child and their repeated repetition. In addition, observations show that the speech activity of an autistic child in games with rhythms is not a meaningful repetition, but rather a sensory game with sounds and rhythms. Nevertheless, it is useful to use the need of an autistic child to complete a familiar phrase - to finish a word, a line in a poem, to finish singing a song - to develop active speech. And in order for the child to better understand the meaning of the poem or song, during the game, use the objects or toys that are mentioned in the text, accompany the pronunciation or singing with appropriate actions, use illustrations. In addition to the above, the child may simply not accept the game - with a loud cry, he will “ask” the adult to stop. This can be explained by the increased sensitivity of the child - he did not like the timbre of your voice, accidentally taken a false note, or he does not agree with singing the song that he used to listen to in the recording. Such a reaction complicates the classes, but it is worth continuing the search. Pick up new songs that are interesting for the child that he has not heard in the recording, find rhythmic movements that do not cause him a negative reaction. To do this, offer your child various options for games and choose the most suitable for him, based on his reaction and taking into account the specific situation. nine0005

Movement and tactile games

Since touching can be uncomfortable for an autistic child, try not to touch him at first. Be patient and tactful and wait for the child to take the initiative first. This can happen in different ways: for the first time, the child climbed onto your lap for the first time, or suddenly, during the lesson, for the first time, he stopped looking at your face for a long time, and then extended his hand and began to feel your nose, cheeks, forehead (you must definitely give him this opportunity ), or took off his blouse and the words “It hurts, it hurts!” asked to stroke his back. Be careful and do not miss this important step of the child in your direction. nine0005

If this happens, then the following games become possible in the classroom:

Braking, fussing

Usually occurs on the floor or sofa, and the child is the initiator of this game. During such games, you can wallow, hug, push, roll, tickle, etc.

I will catch up, I will catch, I will catch

You pretend that you are trying to catch a child, and he runs away. Offer him a variant of the game on the contrary - let him try to catch up with you. However, this option is very difficult for an autistic child, because it requires more activity and arbitrariness of actions from him. nine0005

Snake

Take a ribbon (rope, rope) and, making oscillatory movements with your hand, move away from the child, offering him to catch up with the snake: “The snake is crawling, crawling! Hurry up!" Give the child the opportunity to triumphantly step on the snake with his foot.

Airplanes

Spin the child in the air - "Fly, fly!", then lower it to the sofa or on the floor - "Landed ..." accumulated emotions; this gives such games a therapeutic effect. And from an adult, more emotionality is required. However, there is a danger that the adult will become for the child only a means of achieving the sensation he needs (for example, when the child is being circled). To avoid this, try not to stereotype such games, diversify them. For example, before circling a child, offer: “And today we will take a bear with us on a flight.” nine0005

Tips for coping with difficulties during play

Various difficulties may arise during sensory play. The following recommendations will help you avoid or mitigate the most frequently recurring difficulties.

- If the child does not join the game, does not pay attention to your actions, or protests, do not insist. But be sure to try next time. If you see that the child liked the game, but he remains passive, do not stop, continue to carry out game actions, comment on them as if you were acting together with the child, “introduce” your favorite toy into the game. At first, you should not expect activity from the child, enjoy any, even the most minimal, participation in the game. It may also happen that the child begins to reproduce play activities outside of class. Or one day ask the teacher to repeat the action. For example, a child who did not seem to pay attention to the teacher's singing suddenly begins to sing songs on his own. Such behavior of an autistic child can be explained by the peculiarities of his mental development: by external manifestations, it is far from always possible to understand what he has learned and what not. nine0005

- Remember that a child may be frightened by the new vivid experiences that you offer him. Since it is impossible to predict in advance what impression a given sensory effect will have on the child, care should be taken to introduce new things gradually and in small portions. Pay close attention to the child's reaction and at the first sign of anxiety or fear, immediately stop the game.

- The game that the child likes will require repetition. Do not resist his requests to repeat the game actions again and again - he needs time to settle in new sensations. nine0005

- Keep in mind that the child's voluntary attention is short-lived and unstable. Therefore, if a storyline has already appeared in the game, do not complicate the plot. Let at first the game actions be curtailed - for example, only two "tomatoes" are "planted" on the "bed", and the puppet "lunch" lasts only a couple of minutes. The main task at this stage is to preserve the logical structure of the game, complete the game action and sum up with the help of an emotional commentary.

- While playing, the child may begin to talk, while looking into your face in anticipation of a reaction. These can be phrases-stamps from commercials or words invented by him. Smile back and repeat what the child said (with proper intonation). This form of communication - a kind of "roll call" - will give the child confirmation that you understand him, will cause more confidence in you. nine0005

- If a child really wants something and tries to express his desire, try to find a way to satisfy this desire (of course, taking into account the nuances of a particular situation), or offer a substitute for what you want. For example, instead of pills for a doll first-aid kit, harmless sweets-peas are suitable. However, this is often not easy, because the desire is unusual or dangerous for the child. In addition, you can meet the objections of parents: "You can not indulge the child in everything." But we should not forget that at this moment the child really suffers from the dissatisfaction of his desire. In addition, the peculiarities of his psyche do not allow him to quickly switch, forget about his desire, and explanations and censures do not reach their goal. In this case, adults face a difficult and serious task - to find a socially adequate way to resolve the situation. in any case, it is unacceptable to simply dismiss the child's insistent requests. After all, desire captures him entirely, and he will not calm down until he gets what he wants. At the same time, the child does not understand “why not”. Maybe, for example, want some very expensive thing in the store - but how to explain why it is impossible to buy it: an autistic child does not see the difference between buying a candy (which is “possible”) and a bottle of French perfume? Understanding the peculiarities of the psyche of an autistic child, one should look for a substitute for what is desired, but the child will not always accept such a substitute. At the same time, his desire does not disappear, his strength does not weaken. Then try to organize the fulfillment of desire, but under your control and insurance. nine0005

- Developing the plot of the game, carefully and unobtrusively offer various options that will depend on the wishes of the child, your imagination and pedagogical instinct. Be prepared for the fact that the child will immediately accept some options for the development of events, but categorically disagree with something.

– There is always a danger that the proposed actions will be reproduced by the child in a greatly enhanced and sometimes inadequate form. So, the child knocks on the glass with all his might, with the help of candle fire he begins to set fire to sticks, etc. At the same time, it is impossible to distract the child from such experiments. Let the child get a new experience under your control and insurance, and then try to switch to stereotyped play. nine0005

Educational games for children with ASD

We bring to your attention a list of games that are especially useful and accessible for children with autism. Choose what suits your child the most and share the fun with him!

Classes for children from 1 to 3 years old

A bag of beans

Pour dried beans, rice, small chestnuts or beads into a large plastic tub. We bury a small toy in the filler and ask the baby to get it. The sensations experienced when the hand is immersed in the pool of beans promotes sensory integration of the child and gives him the opportunity to acquire a new tactile experience.

Special warning! Play only under the supervision of an adult, since children with ASD often put the most unexpected and inedible objects into their mouths. nine0005

Blow bubbles

If your child can't blow on their own, have them help you unscrew the top of the bubble and dip the mold in. Here you can achieve the first awareness of the concept of "taking turns" and sensitive interaction in tandem with the child.

Pointing at the bubbles, expressing exaggerated joy and delight - this will help develop the important divided attention in a child with ASD.

Finger paints

This fun has its place in the bathroom - it is very easy to smear everything around and yourself with your fingers smeared in paint. Children will learn more about colors, touch a variety of surfaces and experience a new, unusual feeling of paint on skin. nine0005

At first, not everyone likes this kind of fun, but it is definitely worth trying to instill it. To do this, try it at an older age. Often, in the course of progress in the development and dissipation of the autistic "fog", the child begins to be interested in those substances that he previously categorically rejected (sand, finger paints, plasticine).

Verse and songs

Children often like the smoothness and rapidity of speech in poetry, as well as the cyclical repetition of a couplet in songs. Use rhyming lines to teach your child how to dress or eat on their own (or do some self-care routines). nine0005

Sing your favorite song to your baby when you want to reward him. Use the accompaniment of songs and poems when the baby is doing physical exercises: jumping in length or height, climbing the uneven bars, swinging on a swing.

It is possible that due to the habit of songs and poems, the child will form a special encouragement - read him a poem and / or sing a song. Note that this reward will be NON-FOOD, which is important in the learning process.

Playing with preschoolers

Role-playing

Especially often in children with autism there is a delay in the development of role-playing skills, their complete absence or distortion. To help your baby catch up, try playing these games with him:

• Play dinosaurs, roar at each other and look for food hidden in the grass;
• Play with dolls and dollhouse and imagine that the dolls get up, wash, play and go to bed;
• Build houses with building blocks, make streets out of them and drive a car between them; nine0598
• Play railway game, load the train with goods, put people on it and transport it from station to station;
• Create a hospital for soft toys and treat animals: give them injections, drip drops in their eyes, noses and ears, bandage their paws, give them medicine;
• Use toy food to "cook" and "serve" various meals;
• Play school, someone will be the teacher, and the other participants in the game will be the students.
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If your child has any special interests, take them into account in the role play.

Bring into play what the child loves in real life, for example:

• Playground walks
• Children taking turns on the slide
• Swing and carousel
• Pigeons and cats
• Table setting
• Swimming in a pool or bath

Sets of plot constructors (Lego and analogues), home-made cardboard toys and plastic figurines of people and animals will help you. nine0005

Role-playing games can also reward class members with stickers, lollipops, and other special treats based on a well-played role.

Sensory play

Children with ASD often have sensory problems. They can perceive many irritants familiar to ordinary people (touch, light, tastes, smells, sounds) either as too strong or as very weak (then they begin to intensively look for ways to load the idle perception channels). nine0005

It is important for children with ASD to offer a sensory diet that is suitable for them - a set of sensations that, on the one hand, would make up for the lack, and on the other hand, would gradually and gradually help to get used to too intense sensory experiences.

Try these activities:

• Bean or rice bath. As mentioned earlier, let the children dip their hands into it, bury and dig up animals and other toys;
• Drawing on shaving cream. Put some shaving cream on the tabletop and let the kids spread it all over the tabletop; nine0598
• Create a "water wall": place jars and flasks of various shapes next to each other and let the child fill them with water from a carafe or plastic bottle;
• Drum Ensemble. Arrange the drums on the table. Let the child knock on them at different paces and speeds;
• Offer your child a variety of foods (but don't forget the diet - if you're following one) - with different textures, crunches, and flavors;
• Use the swivel chair to spin the baby around; nine0598
• Buy a small trampoline;
• Hang a swing from the ceiling;
• Wall bars. Attach a wall bar to the wall and encourage your baby to climb up and down it, hang on his arms and legs;
• Rings and crossbar. Hang a pair of rings and a crossbar from the ceiling. Teach your child to hang down from them, pull the body up, swing in the hang with your hands, legs crossed.
• Visit playgrounds: the child must master the descent and ascent of slides of different heights (stairs using alternative climbing routes), be able to overcome obstacles, circle on a carousel, jump on stumps and wheels. nine0598
• Children's transport. Teach your child to ride special carts in the form of cars and motorcycles, scooters and special bicycles without pedals (cycle races).

REMEMBER! Physical exercise will help your child feel better about the body, harmonize balance, improve proprioceptive sensitivity, and may even affect the development of language skills.

This is evidenced by the feedback of many parents who note significant progress in physical skills at preschool age, which occurred a little earlier than breakthrough communication successes, including in speech. nine0005

Read also How to help a special child not be afraid of playing with children together

Adults with autism also speak positively about the need for physical education. For example, the well-known blogger Ido Kedar highly appreciates the role of physical education in overcoming many manifestations of ASD.

Don't overdo it: If the child is anxious or agitated, don't push too hard. A constant slow forward movement is preferable to sharp jerks.

Ability to wait in line

Making moves and performing actions in turn is difficult for every preschooler, but this skill is especially difficult for children with ASD. Try these ideas:

• When your child is playing with a toy, ask them for their turn. Don't wait for an answer, just take the toy, play with it a bit and return it to the child. When the child is well aware that he will be given a toy, he will be more willing to share it;
• Take a toy with lights and music and play with it yourself. Pass it to your child and say, "Your turn." Include a few more children or adults in the activity - let the toy go in a circle. nine0598
• Run the spinning top in turn, beat the drum, rattle the castanets, blow the pipe, blow bubbles - use simple instruments, the duration of one playing session with which is short and which can be quickly transferred to a partner.

Joint attention

Children with ASD are often deprived of divided attention (common attention of two people to the same object or synchronization of attention between two or more people). However, this shortcoming can be corrected in the game:

• When a child plays with a toy, pick it up and point out some features with your finger (teddy bear ears). Ask the child to repeat after you.
• Ask the child to describe in detail the object he is looking at: what height, what color, what shape, what width.
• Blow a whistle, fife, or harmonica and ask the child to say what has just been said.
• Play different melodies on your musical instrument.
• Ask the child to describe objects on the street, to name what is in front of him.

We encourage imitation

Imitation is an extremely important tool for the development of the child and the basis for the acquisition of many skills. In children with ASD, the ability to imitate and repeat after another person often suffers. Try these games:

• Make gestures with your hands, change the position of the legs and the whole body, and ask the child to repeat after you;
• Act like an animal and have the child repeat the behaviors you demonstrate; nine0598
• Copy the behavior of your child with ASD. Do this until he notices your monkeying;
• If you have someone to pair up, ask one child to be a mirror of the other - when the first one makes a movement, the second one should repeat it accurately and in time.

Reward your child's success with awards!

Elementary school games

By elementary school, the differences between children with ASD and their neurotypical peers become especially noticeable. nine0005

This leads to ridicule and alienation, which only exacerbates the isolation in which autistic children find themselves. It is important for them to help develop social interaction skills in order to facilitate communication and provide them with, if not complete, then at least partial integration into the team.

Read also How to build self-confidence in a special child

It is also important to continue to develop gross motor skills and proprioception: if this is not done, the gap from ordinary children will increase. nine0005

Many games are at your disposal, for example:

Spy

• We describe in detail some object with as many details as possible. We ask the child to find him in the room according to the description.
• If this is too difficult for the child, then put two or three different soft toys on the table, describe one of them and ask them to identify what you just described.

Guess what

• Ask the child to close his eyes (they can be tied with a handkerchief for safety) and give him a simple object (a cup, a cube or a piece from the designer). Ask him to feel the object and describe it to you (hardness, shape, angularity, depressions and bulges, material, roughness and smoothness). nine0598
• If the child is non-verbal, ask him to show you the item in the picture.
• Play helps children learn to use their sense of touch and not rely solely on sight (in ASD, it usually greatly predominates over other sensory channels).

Draw my face

• Draw a large circle or oval on a piece of paper. You exaggerately portray some kind of emotion, and the child must study your face and portray this feeling - anger, fun, pain - on paper. Draw a whole gallery of emotions! nine0598

Dancing

• Turn on rhythmic music and ask the child to dance with you. We show individual figures, which he must repeat after you.

Puppet theater

• We collect soft toys and dolls together and play small scenes from life between them. You can play the store or school, you can tell stories that have recently happened to the baby in a new way. Explain to the child what is happening and what options he has in different situations. nine0598
• You can also use ready-made flat figures for magnetic theater or stick photos of the whole family on magnets and bring the depicted world as close as possible to the real one.

Activities with teenagers

Here are some exercises that will help a teenager with ASD to establish better contact with peers and understand the interlocutors more deeply:

• Obstacle course. Arrange objects around the room in such a way as to create obstacles that must be overcome. Let the children work in pairs, one should lead and the other should be led. The master gives commands, and the slave carries them out. nine0598
• Understanding the film. Children with autism have difficulty understanding the feelings and emotions of others. Play a scene from a movie for them. Then talk to the guys to understand which moments of communication and exchange of emotions they understood and which ones they missed. Explain the problematic points and watch the video again. Freeze the video and ask them to explain what this or that facial expression means.
• Improvisation. It is difficult for children with ASD to be spontaneous, so improvisation tasks are very useful for them. Include a child with ASD in the group of neurotypical children. Give the children a few things (such as a pair of pants, a steering wheel, and a notepad) and ask them to make up a story with them. It is unlikely that your child with autism will be a ringleader, but there is no doubt that he will benefit from working in a group and the ability to work not according to a ready-made template. nine0598

Tips

Children with autism need games that are both fun and challenging.

Here are some tips on how best to organize the game:

• It is always a good idea to involve other children in the game. However, make sure that the little participants really help the child with autism, do not make fun of him or ignore him. It is best if the children know in advance what they have to do and with whom to play, and treat their task responsibly. nine0598
• Try to take into account all possible negative aspects in advance: sensory overload, dislike for changing the usual routine, inability to find contact with others. Think about how to simplify the game so that it is interesting for a child with ASD, and how to finish it on time.
• Keep your child's special interests in mind when starting the game. For example, if he loves trains, animals, anime characters, or dinosaurs, make sure that the toys have the appropriate symbolism.
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Connecting with a child with autism can be a very difficult task.

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