Speech Problems in Kids
Family Walks Encourage Talking
© Lynn Moore
Jun 26, 2006
Great ways to encourage talking as you take a walk with your special needs child.
Taking a walk is a great thing to plan in your day. You will feel better and so will your special needs child or tween. Use the tips here to build language skills along the way.
When will you walk?
- Consider walking on a regular basis. If the family always walks in the cool evening after dinner, it becomes a routine. Family time routines become family traditions and memories.
- Think about a time that compliments the other things planned for your child. Walking just before bathtime may be the natural wind down that your child needs. Use the last bit of energy for the walk; relax with a bath; off to a bedtime book and sleep.
Great things to do on a walk
- Play the color game.
Before you leave the house let your child pick the color of the walk. (He may pick two colors: one for you and one for himself.) Be sure to encourage language. Parent: What color do you want? Child: Red. (Maybe your child is ready for sentences. For example, I want red.)
- Play the I see a ____ game.
Choose an item that you will likely see several of (but not too many) on the walk. Perhaps Alicia, who is mentally retarded, loves dogs. Put a picture of a dog on a paper (glue, draw, photo, etc.) Every time you see a dog say I see a dog! and tally it on the paper. Soon Alicia will be doing the same.
- Play the which way game.
Plan a routine walk course. After several times of walking on the route, let your child be the guide. At each corner, stop and ask which way? Encourage your child to practice safety rules when crossing streets.
My next article:
Autism and Playground Fun
Note: All children in this article are fictitious and represent general characteristics of the disability. Activities represented here are ideas. Parents (not the author) are responsible for choosing an appropriate activity for a particular child and for the consequences of that activity.
© 2006 Lynn Moore No portion of this article may be copied or distributed without the written consent of the author.
The copyright of the article Speech Problems in Kids in Special Needs Parenting is owned by Lynn Moore. Permission to republish Speech Problems in Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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