4 Developmental Activities At Daycare For Kids With Autism

Daycare For Kids With Autism-Teachers and therapists at a daycare for kids with autism understand that every child is unique. There is no single developmental activity or therapy that is best for a child, as one needs to look at their diagnoses, age, development, and goals to determine what fits each one. Let’s look at four of the developmental activities used at the Autism Center for Kids daycare.

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Daycare For Kids With Autism-Structured and Unstructured Play at Daycare   

The early learning and development daycare has structured and unstructured play as part of the infant and toddler classroom schedule. But what does this kind of play involve? The Autism Parenting Magazine describes the two play styles as follows:

• Structured play involves instructor-led activities and teaches a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rules, clear boundaries, and social skills for interacting with peers.
• Unstructured play is fully child-led, without instruction from an adult. It lets the child creatively explore their environment to learn more about themselves.  

Why should children with autism participate in unstructured and structured play? It stimulates a child’s physical, emotional, and social development. What other benefits are there to these play styles?

• Structured play increases fine motor skills, builds coordination and strength, and helps a child develop self-regulation and turn-taking.   
• Unstructured play cultivates creativity and imagination, helps develop problem-solving skills and encourages listening. 

Miller Method Therapy/Floor time

Children attending the Autism Center for Kids daycare receive the equivalent of fifteen weekly (individual, group, supported) therapy and activities hours every week. One of the play therapies practised is floor time. During floor time, the adults get down on the floor to interact and play with the child on their level. The aim is to teach children developmental skills in a fun, exciting environment.     

The Center is a proponent of the Miller Method, as Amir Haimove, founder of the Autism Center for Kids, was mentored by the method’s pioneer. The Miller Method is based on the concept that typical development depends on the ability of children to form systems that are organized “chunks” of behavior’s . Autistic children are typically stalled at the early stages of their development, causing their systems and behavior’s to fall behind. The Miller Method’s goal is to restore typical development progressions using specific strategies.       

Communication And Language Development     

Communication and language development is one of the skills teachers and therapists at the Autism Center for Kids daycare focus on. The ability to communicate is valuable to all children as it allows them to express their needs and wants, affecting their learning, socialising, and behaviour. Autistic children often communicate differently, and their skills should be developed gradually. How can one encourage communication?    

• Use short sentences
• Exaggerate your tone of voice
• Use positive reinforcement to encourage the child to respond when it is their conversation turn
• Ask questions that need a reply from the child
• Give the child enough time to understand and respond to questions
• Practice communicating on things or topics that interest the child. 

Increasing Social Skills At Daycare Level   

The age group at the Center’s daycare for kids with autism is 3 to 6 years. An age when social skills need to develop and increase so they can learn, make friends, and build relationships. Children on the autism spectrum struggle in social situations, but with patience and support, they can develop the necessary skills. What strategies can one use to develop social skills at the daycare level?

• Practice play by using toys to act out scenes. It gives children an opportunity to follow rules, cope with winning and losing, and practice turn-taking.
• Encouragement and praise should be given in abundance when children interact positively with others.
• Role-play can be used to prepare for social events and playdates by playing games that children might play together. 

The Autism Center for Kids has been serving Vaughan families for over twenty years, and we still believe in each child. Do you want to learn more about the therapies we offer and the skills we work on developing at our daycare for kids with autism? Contact us today.