Cooperative Play, No Big Deal

So, this happened tonight…

cooperativeplay

 

That’s Brian with the black hood on next to his friend Henry and two other kids he had just met.

Nothing much to see here, just a few kids playing in the dirt, talking about strategies, giving each other instructions, and trying to make the largest mountain they can.

Nothing much to see….unless your child has autism.

Children move through different play patterns as they grow.  First comes solitary play, then parallel play, followed by associative play, and finally on to cooperative play.

Brian hardly ever participates in cooperative play without some prompting and constant support.  He tends to live in the parallel play zone.  Comfortable in the play zone that is most typical among toddlers.

Cooperative play is one of the highest goals in the autism world.  For your child to see what other kids are doing, to WANT to join their play, and then to participate in the end goal is unheard of in our daily lives.

So again, this isn’t a big deal.  This is a GIGANTIC deal.  

 

Heather Nelson

About Heather Nelson

Heather resides in Rockland where she is busy juggling life as a newlywed, a mom to two boys (one of which who has autism), a part time job in direct sales, and a full-time job as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She has a love for live music, karaoke, and cheering on the underdogs.