Speaking of Christmas gifts, books are always a good idea. You can get books with audio tapes, you can get books with textures. I try to read simple books to my 3-6 year olds, but I also read books that are age appropriate. In other words, for all my children I would select a simple cardboard preschool book that contains simple clear drawings with very little clutter. The books located in this blog are good examples of simple books with few words and very little visual clutter. The visual simplicity is extremely important for children with low vision or children with corticol visual impairment. Authors and books not pictured here are Bill Martin Jr,
BABY BEN GETS DRESSED (Baby Ben Book)
,
BABY BEN'S BUSY BOOK (Baby Ben Book)
,
Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)
Pat the Puppy (Pat the Bunny) (Touch-and-Feel)
These are just a few suggestions among many that are available to you as a person involved in the child's life. The simplicity of the books adds to the child's vocabulary, cognitive functioning. There words in the books are rhythmic and repetitive.
Even if you are not sure that a child understands/hears/sees what you are doing with the book, you are still stimulating the child with your closeness, the warmth of your body, the rhythm of your breathing and the cadence of your voice. At best you are stimulating language, visual centers and having fun all at one time.
2 comments:
Hi Mari,
Years ago, when I was a respite worker and going to college, one of my respite children was a teenage boy with severe impairments, cp, and seizures. I had him everyday afterschool, until his parents came home from work.
He didn't seem to respond to anything in his environment, or to anyone, including me. Out of boredom, I started reading to him my textbooks for about an hour a day.
After months of doing this, there started to be an automatic response whenever I started to read. He would relax his tight muscles, and he would be seizure free during his time with me.
His parents began to notice the differences. At his next IEP, they added that he be read to at least an hour a day!!
For me, his boy has always been a reminder that the power of a kind, soft voice, can be as effective or more effective, than traditional therapies. Kindness and time are what these children need sometimes. Take good care!
Lovey,
Thank you so much for your addition. I also find that sitting the children on my lap, massage and just plain love and trust in the child are great communicators and allow the child some access to the outside word.
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