Quick Tips

Get your child involved in as many daily routines as you can. Routines are repetitive, predictable, help with direction following, household vocabulary, basic concepts, cause/effect, sequencing, and so much more!

Sensory bins are amazing learning tools that tend to be children's all-time favorite activity! I like to target thematic vocabulary with mine (adding different types of bugs, farm animals, pretend foods, etc.) and rotate them every few weeks. Additionally, sensory bins can be a great tool to help improve your child's fine motor skills (scooping, grabbing with tongs, pouring, etc.) and expose your child to a variety of textures (i.e., beans, kinetic sand, rice, cotton balls, etc.) in a safe and playful manner.

Reading to your child is one of the best things you can do to boost his learning. When you want to make reading a teachable moment, make sure that you hold the book and allow the child to turn the pages, keep it short and sweet (don't read every word on each page), and make it interactive and fun with sound effects, flaps to open, tabs to pull, etc. When you need some time get a task done, keep a few books accessible to your child so he can flip through them independently and explore them on his own.

Although it can take quite a bit of extra preparation and it can definitely get messy, involving your child in baking activities can be such an incredible learning tool. Through baking children can learn concepts (i.e., empty, full, more, less, hot, cold), sequences, 1-to-1 counting, fractions, time, and so much more…all while having fun!

A swing can be an ideal therapy/communication space. Your child for once is sitting down, getting calming movement, having fun, and watching other children playing. This becomes a great chance to practice: action words (i.e., swing, run, go, jump, walk), asking for continuation (more swing?), making choices (swing or slide?), and some basic concepts (on/off, up/down, fast/slow).

Holidays are such fun times of the year, so it can be hard to believe that a child may struggle with them. What many parents often forget (myself included), is that holidays are often filled with a lot of new sensory experiences (sights, smells, sounds, tastes), complex directions, and unknown social rules and expectations. It helps to prepare children for holidays weeks prior by reading books and watching videos about what occurs during the holiday as well as practicing some of the social expectations at home prior to the big day.

Children learn a lot in a short period of time when an experience is truly novel and has never been seen before. So, if there is a special occasion coming up (birthday or holiday), instead of saving for new toys, try saving for new experiences- a zoo, a water park, a splash pad, a theme park, an aquarium, etc.

Pets can be a great way to get your child talking, following directions, and socializing better. They are a source of comfort and often bring out the best in children. By giving your child the responsibility of providing food and water to your pet, you can to teach him sequencing, multi-step directions, basic concepts, and problem solving skills. Additionally, teaching your child ways to properly touch and play with his pet will help to improve empathy and understanding of others' preferences, which is a crucial social language skill. Some families even find having their child read to their pet to be a stress-free way to practice their skills.

Is your kiddo going from toy to toy and not playing with them for long enough? This tends to happen when there are too many toys available in one play space. One quick fix is to take one or two toys into a new space for your child to explore with less distractions. Outdoor spaces are great for reducing the "toy chaos" and allowing your child to interact with their toys in creative new ways.

Having trouble getting your child to connect and attend during play with toys? Why not make yourself the "toy" with physical play with a repetitive routine. First, establish the routine ("1-2-3-blastoff" or "ready-set-go") while pairing it with the desired and fun physical movement your child enjoys. Then begin the routine, build anticipation, and suddenly stop the routine with expectant waiting (i.e., "1-2-.....", “ready-set…..”), giving your child the chance request for the anticipated action to be completed.