Question about pretend play
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Question about pretend play
| Fri, 10-28-2005 - 7:14am |
Hi everyone,
Our almost 4yo DS has newly been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. One of the things the psychologist said keeps him from being social with other kids, other than pragmatic language delay, is the inability to pretend play at the same level as his peers. We are getting him speech therapy and trying to get him to be more expressive and spontaneous with his language. How do I encourage the pretend play? He does pretend play but its all based in reality (things he's seen or done or watched others do). How do I take it to the next level? I'm not even sure what the next level is. Is that even something you can even teach/encourage? He doesn't watch much TV other than maybe dora or wiggles so maybe thats a problem too.
I hope I'm making sense. This is all very new to me.
Thanks,
Sonya.
Our almost 4yo DS has newly been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. One of the things the psychologist said keeps him from being social with other kids, other than pragmatic language delay, is the inability to pretend play at the same level as his peers. We are getting him speech therapy and trying to get him to be more expressive and spontaneous with his language. How do I encourage the pretend play? He does pretend play but its all based in reality (things he's seen or done or watched others do). How do I take it to the next level? I'm not even sure what the next level is. Is that even something you can even teach/encourage? He doesn't watch much TV other than maybe dora or wiggles so maybe thats a problem too.
I hope I'm making sense. This is all very new to me.
Thanks,
Sonya.

If you have any toy sets: farm, or characters, you can have the 'people' interact with the animals, feed them, put them outside when it's dry, inside when it rains, etc. Also you can role-paly with the your child, have him be the mommy and you be the kid -or have him the teacher and you the kid. Make spiderman climb walls, superman fly, food talk, socks walk. Make animals out of clay and "ask" them their names etc. Practice funny voices.
have fun
With my kids at first they would get comfortable with a particular 'scene" and want to do te same thing over and over again. I woudl inroduce changes in litle ways maye add or remove a single character and litle by little change that scenaio into anothe rone.
ALso look into "floortime" Read "The child with special needs" by Stanley Geenspan.
HTH
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
HI Sonya,
There is a wide variety of things that make up pretend play.
Sonya,
Nathan didn't start "pretending" til he was closer to 5yrs old, I think. It was difficult for him too, still is actually. I agree with the others, to initiate the pretending, and show him lots of examples and ideas. Nathan's brother really helped with introducing this. Nathan has rules....I'm not allowed to play...I'm an ADULT!! LOL I'm still working on it. Pretty much everyday, I try to play with him. But he's still not having it!!! I don't give up that easy though. I have found that with Nathan, if I just continue ......I eventually get something from him, but it's hard work!! lol
michelle
Dear Sonya,
Our son started lots of therapies at age 3, including play therapy. He has also developed many friends who are like him, either because they are younger or because they are behind developmentally as well. He can now play very imaginatively, and with his friends as well, but it took lots of work.
We showed him play routines, read him lots of books, acted out scenes from movies and tv shows. Basically, I think we turn lots of everyday activities in pretend play, and he does too.
Practise, practise, practise. And have fun while practising! Fun is very enticing to all kids.
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm