Tags: Child Health and Growth, Parenting
By Nikka Garriga
PASAY CITY, METRO MANILA— For occupational therapist Professor Anita Bundy, the role of play in children’s growth encompasses more than just developing their physical and social skills.
Kids’ love for play is also now being tapped to help treat kids with disabilities like sensory integration (SI) dysfunction or those who are having trouble reacting to senses appropriately.
In situations like this, play is being used as an intervention to help children with SI dysfunction understand themselves and how their reactions would relate to their surroundings.
“The intervention is meant to be the ‘just right’ challenge. You make kids work absolutely as hard as you can with something that they can do and would involve a lot of sensory processing,” Bundy says during the recent Play Pilipinas conference.
According to her, the relationship between play and sensory integration works together in that it motivates children to master their bodies through simple activities such as letting them play outdoors.
“Play has proven to be effective because kids just love it so much that they would do it over and over and over again,” she says.
With a little touch of creativity, she adds that parents can even improvise play items using recycled materials such as scrap planks of wood, pool noodles and boxes, among others.
These materials can then be designed in keeping with the safety needs of children and make it attractive enough for them to play with it using their strength and senses. “This can give kids enhanced sensation and aid in producing a good coordinated response, says Bundy.
Related Stories:
Nurture your child’s intelligence through play
Study says traditional Pinoy games still popular among kids
How parents can protect kids from school bullies
Beauty and Hygiene Child Health and Growth Clothing Consumer Electronics Consumer Goods and Concerns Family Family Health Concerns Fashion Footwear Furniture Games and Hobbies Health issues Home Appliances Household Care and Cleanliness Household Products Internet Mobile Lifestyle Parenting Personal Finance Pets Physical Wellness Religion Spa and Massage Special Occasions Spiritual Wellness Technology Industry Toys
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
