We All Can Play!
Emily Fallings
[email protected]
Alisa Louther
[email protected]
Virginia Assistive Technology System
George Mason University
October 9, 2013
Agenda
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Selecting Toys
Centers
Gross Motor/ Outdoor Play
Art & Music
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Questions
Purpose
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Provide participants with both knowledge and
hands-on strategies for working with young
children with special needs.
Physical, curriculum, behavioral,
communication and technological adaptations
will be discussed and demonstrated.
Participants will have an opportunity to
explore materials, resources and ask
questions.
A DAY OF PLAY
Importance of Play
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Crucial to child development for both
children with and without disabilities
Access can be limited by disability and
opportunity
Play helps with fine and gross motor
skills
Universal Design for Play
Let’s Play! Project
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Multiple Ways of Presentation
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Multiple ways to Use
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The toy is appealing
The toy is easy to understand
The toy is easy to use
The toy is adjustable
Multiple Ways to Play
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The toy can be played with in different ways
The toy is fun
Universal Design for Play Tool
Let’s Play! Project
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Helps identify toys with embedded UD
features
Toy is rated on the quantity and quality of
its UD characteristics
Universal Design for Play Tool (English)
Universal Design for Play Scoresheet
Top 10 Toy Tips
1.
2.
3.
Multisensory appeal
 Does the toy respond with lights, sounds, or
movement to engage the child?
 Are there contrasting colors? Does it have a
scent? Is there texture?
Method of activation
 Will the toy provide a challenge without
frustration? What is the force required to
activate? What are the number and complexity
of steps required to activate?
Where toy will be used
 Will the toy be easy to store? Is there space in
the home? Can the toy be used in a variety of
positions such as side-lying or on wheelchair
tray?
Top 10 Toy Tips
4.
5.
6.
Opportunities for success
 Can play be open-ended with no definite right
or wrong way? Is it adaptable to the child’s
individual style, ability and pace?
Current popularity
 Is it a toy that will help the child with disabilities
feel like “any other kid”? Does it tie-in with
other activities like books and art sets that
promote other forms of play?
Self-expression
 Does the toy allow for creativity, uniqueness,
and choice-making? Will it give the child
experience with a variety of medium?
Top 10 Toy Tips
7.
8.
9.
Adjustability
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Does it have adjustable height, sound volume,
speed, level of difficulty?
Child’s individual characteristics
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Does the toy provide activities that reflect both
developmental and chronological ages? Does
it reflect the child’s interests and age?
Safety and durability
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Consider the child’s size and strength. Does
the toy have moisture resistance?
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Is the toy and its parts sized appropriately?
Can it be washed and cleaned?
Top 10 Toy Tips
10.
Potential for interaction
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Will the child be an active participant during
use? Will the toy encourage social
engagement with others?
From the National Lekotek Center:
http://www.lekotek.org/pdfs/packets/Top%20Ten%20List.pdf
Resources for Toys
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National Lekotek Center
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Let’s Play! Projects
Alliance for Technology
Access
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Handouts, phone service, Toys
R Us Guide
AblePlay (inde. rating system)
Let’s Play Toy Guide
We Can Play Project
AT and Toy Vendors
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Enabling Devices
Fisher Price
Principles of Adaptation
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Principle #1: Adapt only when necessary
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Principle #2: Adapt on an individual basis
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Adapt when needed to increase a persons
participation, success, and enjoyment
Not everyone will need to use adaptations
Principle #3: View any adaptation as
temporary
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Adaptations may not be necessary as the
individuals skills or confidence increase.
Principles of Adaptation
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Principle #4 Adapt for congruence
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Try not to make adaptations so intrusive that
they limit a persons ability to participate or
feed into disability stereotypes
Principle #5 Adapt for availability
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Try to make adaptations simple and available
in other environments
Ways to Adapt Toys
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Stabilizing
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Extending or Building up
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Dycem, Velcro, Suction Cups, magnets, etc.
Sponge rollers, popsicle sticks, Modeling
clay, etc.
Highlighting Materials
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Tape, Colored Velcro, Wikki Sticks, etc.
Adapted from Let’s Play! Project
Ways to Adapt Toys
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Attaching
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Confining
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Links, Snaps, Elastic, Velcro, etc.
Box tops, Planter Base, Cookie Sheet, etc.
Simplifying
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Remove distractions, limit number of toys,
etc.
Adapted from Let’s Play! Project
Adapting Board Games
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Attitudes (No I in Team)
Communication/Reading
Materials and Equipment
Rules
Procedures/Skill Sequence
Facility/Environment
Example: Hi Ho Cherry-O
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Attitude
 Play in teams
Communication/Behavior
 Picture rule cards
 Script language needed for communication
board/VOCA
Materials and Equipment
 Larger board, simpler board, secure board
 Larger pieces (cherries), velcro
 Larger spinner, computer spinner,
switch activated spinner
 Do not use board
 Your ideas for adapting the board?
Example: Hi Ho Cherry-O
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Rules
• Everyone can win, when you fill up your
basket
Procedures/Skill Sequence
• Difficulty counting: add or lose only one
cherry at a time (adjust the spinner)
Facility/Environment
• Large floor game, wall game, or
wheelchair tray game
Enabling devices
Story Time
Literacy Begins at Home
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Reading together
Play interaction
Children with physical and cognitive
impairments tend to have less
opportunity and exposure to literacy
activities in the home and early school
years.
Adapting Books AT Continuum
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Physical access
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Physical/Visual access to text
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Page fluffers
Page holders
Enlarged test
Visual Focus/Enhancement
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Highlighter tape
Magnifiers
Page ruler/frame
Page flags
Word rings, etc.
From BPS Access Technology Center
Adapting Books AT Continuum
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Interactive/Kinesthetic Access to Text
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Velcro
Props
Picture/sentence strips
Alternative Formats and Extension Ideas
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Talking photo album
Electronic books
Story slide shows/organizers
Text-to-speech/Text readers
Different mages
From BPS Access Technology Center
Engineering a positive
communication environment
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Visual Schedules
Tools for requesting
through out
Transition tools
Behavioral
expectations posted
Task expectations &
rewards visible
PROVIDING VISUAL
CUES
From: Joanne Cafiero, Closing the Gap 2003
QUESTIONS???
Centers
Centers
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Imaginative Play
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Fine Motor
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Dress-up, House, Puppets, Dolls
Manipulatives, Puzzles, Matchbox Cars
Games
Gross Motor / Outside
Outside/Gross Motor
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Games
Outdoor Toys
Equipment
Outdoor fun!
Accessible Playgrounds
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ADA Playground Guidelines
Children in wheelchairs can move around
on the playground surface or path to the
play area.
There are transfer ramps with wheel
stops and guardrails for children to get
onto higher equipment.
There is separate equipment for all
developmental levels.
Accessible Playgrounds
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The playground equipment and surface are
maintained.
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There is space for adults to help children
play on the equipment.
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All openings on elevated play platforms are
limited in width.
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There are hands-on areas for children sitting
in wheelchairs.
Art & Music
Art & Music
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Provide visual support of both behavior
expectations and steps of the art/music
project.
Provide several examples to help spark
ideas & reduce anxiety for coming up
with own idea.
Provide creative ways to keep the activity
interesting and engaging.
Art & Music
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Provide templates for students to fill in to
reduce time planning their project.
Provide visual supports and/or model how
to sing songs and tap out rhythms so
students do not feel frustrated that they
cannot keep up with everyone else.
Art Adaptations
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Commercial or homemade
Art Software, i.e., Paint, Kid Pix
Switch Adapted Art
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Paint Spinner
Bubble Blower
Anything else you can think of that can be
battery adapted or plugged into a PowerLink!
Art Adaptations
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Rethinking the paintbrush
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Built up handles/holders
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Balls
Trucks/Cars
Squishy, sensory toys
Balloons
Foam curlers
Model magic
PVC piping
Texturizing
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Adding texture to paint
WikkiStix/hot glue to create boundaries
Music Adaptations
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Make a noise device that they can hold in one
hand and bang, shake, or roll.
Using voice output device, have a classmate tap
out the beat with their sticks. Then the student
can activate the device during the music activity to
participate.
Use a computer program such as Switch in Time
to play the beats.
Enable the student to be the music leader, and
turn on or off the music.
QUESTIONS???