Home-Based Intervention Activities - Coursework Example

Home – Based Intervention Activities Special children with special needs do have the distinction of having mild to severe learning disabilities and sometimes even mental retardation. Such children are extremely vulnerable and sensitive to everything that goes on around them. Both the child, as well as the family are stressed and as such need special care and attention coupled with a lot of understanding in many areas. One such area is educating the child through a few easy home-based activities. Activity 1 – Vegetable Shop Age Group: 1 – 3 years old Skill: Cognition Interest and needs of the child: This exercise would help the child to differentiate and learn the names of different vegetables. Materials to be used: A big basket filled with different kinds of vegetables and smaller baskets with a picture of a vegetable stuck on the basket. Directions to Parents: The parent shows the small baskets with a picture of a vegetable on it to the child. Then she takes the child to the big basket and showing each of the vegetables she teaches the child its name, color and shape. When the child has become familiar with all of them she instructs the child to pick up a vegetable and drop them into their respective baskets and this continues till the basket is empty. In case the child makes a mistake, the parent should patiently show the vegetable to the child and revise about its different features. Variations: The same activity could be done making use of different fruits or flowers etc. If the child has outgrown the game, other articles not belonging to any specific group could be used, such as books, pencils, dolls, blocks etc. Activity 2 – Making colored paper boats. Age Group: 2 to 4 years old Skill: Enhancing the Motor skills of the child. Interest and needs of the child: To help children acquire better co-ordination by using their limbs. The activity should center around the child using their limbs in coordination with the rest of the body. For better motor skills a few exercises involving the limbs should be carried out every day. Materials to be used: Glazed paper cut in squares, match – sticks and fevicol. Directions to parents: This activity is very helpful in enhancing the motor skills of the child. The parent has to show a lot of care and understanding while teaching the child how to fold the paper correctly to make a boat. If colored paper is not available, any magazine or news paper would do. After making the boats, the parent shows the child how to stick a little flag at the end of the match stick. When it has dried well, the flag is taken and attached to the centre of the boat. The parent can encourage the child to take the boats and sail them one by one in a large basin of water. This activity would really give much joy to the child as well as the parent. Before placing the boats in the water, the child could be allowed to just play for a while in the water. Then the parent can put different objects such as pieces of paper, stones, a vegetable or a toy to show the child that some objects may float and others may sink to the bottom. The child is made to handle each object one by one when going about this activity. Variations: In case the child is suffering from poor coordination and is unable to do the paper folding by itself, the parent or caregiver holds the child’s hands and folds the paper and helps the child to stick the flag on the boat. If the child is too young or too disabled then the child could be helped to flat wash the squares of paper, roll it into colored balls and float them in the basin of water. Activity 3 - Marbles in the sand Age group – 3 to 5 year olds Skill: Social Skills Interest and needs of the child: To build the social skills of the child through interaction the child should be exposed to different situations involving coming into contact with many people. The child needs to be taken to various public places where the child automatically comes into contact with people other than their own family members. Materials to be used: a mound of clean sand, some colored marbles and a box. Directions to parents: Hide some colored marbles in a mound of sand and direct the child to find the marbles hidden there. When the child finds each marble he/she is asked to place them in the box that is given. Two or three people can play with the child. It could be a parent or sibling or other children with similar problems. But each should be given a separate box for their marbles. After all the marbles have been traced, then they are counted one by one. The child is given a sweet at the end of the game. This activity calls for a lot of interaction between the child and other players and has good scope of enhancing the child’s social skills. If marbles are not available, then other objects like beads, buttons or even onions and potatoes could be used. This game could also be carried out in a basin of water. Variations: If the child has better cognition, then they could be asked to place each colored marble into its respective colored box. E.g. Red marbles in a red box or blue marbles in a blue box etc… Activity 4 – Dressing up Dolly Age: 1 to 5 year olds. Skill: Language Interest and needs of the child: To enhance the child’s language skills by widening the vocabulary the parent or caregiver makes use of live objects for teaching the names of different things. The child should be allowed to handle the objects while learning their names. Even good colorful picture books could be made use of for increasing the child’s vocabulary. Materials needed: The child herself and a pretty dress and some make up. Directions to parents: The parent has to tell the child that they are going to dress up a pretty doll and the doll is the child itself. This activity would make the child more exuberant and enthusiastic because all children love dolls. The parent should start by giving the child a hot bath and all the while referring her to be a doll. This would help the child take an active part in the proceedings. After the bath, the beautiful dress is brought out and draped on the child and the parent admires her. The make up is brought out and put on little by little while all the time the parent speaks endearing words to the child and makes her look into a mirror and asks her small questions like – Is the Dolly looking pretty? Or does the Dolly want to put lipstick? Etc. etc. After the shoes have been put on she is taken to meet each of the other members in the family who speak to the child positively and give her either a chocolate or something to make her happy. Variations: The activity could be done with the child but if that is not possible it could be done with a real doll too, where the child would have to do the dressing of the doll. But throughout the time, the conversation should keep flowing back and forth from parent to child. In case of poor coordination, the child is given maximum help by the caregiver in cleaning and dressing the doll. In case it is not possible to wear make up, then the child could be given a comb to comb the doll’s hair. Activity 5 – Getting Ready Age: 3 to 5 year olds. Skill: Self Help Interest and needs of the child: Helping the child to become a little more independent by allowing the child to take part in all the activities that involve helping itself. Opportunities for child to become more independent should be given on a regular basis by the parent so the child feels confident about handling various situations by itself. Materials to be used: Towel, soap, water, clean clothes, oil, powder, comb, clips or ribbons, handkerchief, shoes and socks. Directions to Parents: Parents have to use a lot of patience and understanding for this activity. Passing negative remarks or stopping the child in the middle of the activity is not a good idea. The soap and towel is given to the child and the parent guides the child about how to wash her face, hands and legs. The child is brought in, made to sit on a chair and the towel is given to dry herself. Then the parent helps the child to put on her clothes slowly. She is then taken to a mirror and a comb is given to the child. The parent can demonstrate how to comb the hair and guide the child gently along. She also shows the child how to use a clip on her hair or how to tie some ribbons. All the while the parent has to talk in an understanding manner to the child and not show any impatience. Again a powder box with a puff is given and the parent shows the child how to apply it. Again the parent praises the child after the whole episode is complete and the child could be taken to the other family members and the caregiver explains how the child helped to get herself cleaned and dressed. Variations: If this is not possible the child could be taught to wash and dress either a doll or a smaller member in the family. In case of poor disability, the parent or caregiver cleans and dresses the doll and asks the child to make the doll sit on a sheet or mat that is spread out and the child is asked to place all her toys one by one around the doll saying that they are going to have a party. In another case, the parent can ask all the child’s friends to call over with their dolls too and a lot of interaction could take place between all the children. References: Special Child www.specialchild.com Parenting Special Needs Children www.specialchildren.about.com Special Children Inc. Home www.specialchildren.net SCAF: Special Children’s Art Foundation. www.specialchildrensart.org/index.html Read More