Did you know there is actually a way to play? It is called purposeful play. I am not sure if this term was around when I was bringing up Austin but, it is all over the place now. Just google “purposeful play” and you will find lots of links to research and what I found even more shocking was consultants for daycares. Now obviously I deal with consulting firms in business but, who ever thought there was consulting business in daycares?
Ok back to the topic at hand. I have learned a lot about how to play, when to prompt understanding and when to just sit and watch, what activities to do. This has not impacted the kids much as playtime for them is still playtime but, for me it has become much more of a thoughtful interaction. For example: When you play with bubbles with your toddlers did you know how many opportunities exist to teach so many different things. Our bubble time play now consists of: waiting for prompts to blow them, teaching on how to blow (and how to say the word), learning the word “pop” and learning to point when popping them. Maybe all this took place before as a normal natural progression, but when I reflect I am not sure. This of course is just one example of how our play has become a series of useful interactions (and bubble time is one of the easiest I think).
My thoughts are that all parents not just parents of autistic children or “differently-abled” children benefit from understanding how to play. I am seeing Gabby grow and develop through our new way of playing that I don’t know if I would see if we continued our previous playing ways. Not that all of our play is structured because it isn’t, but you look at it through a completely different lens now. Every interaction really is a teachable moment and it is important to make the most of it. Now a parent-teaching play consulting group is an idea that could gain traction.
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