Brincando e comunicando sem objetos [Transtorno do Espectro Autista]

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of sensory social play for children with autism. It highlights interactive activities, like 'peek-a-boo,' bubble play, and 'horsey rides,' where the child directly engages with the caregiver rather than with objects. Key to the approach is the use of pauses, encouraging the child to communicate through gestures, eye contact, or vocalizations. The script stresses the need to gauge the child's motivation, introduce variations in play to maintain interest, and avoid overstimulation. This approach helps foster social engagement and communication skills, making the playtime both enjoyable and educational for the child.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social sensory play can be a powerful tool to engage children with autism in meaningful interactions.
• 😀 The core of autism is often social interaction difficulties, and non-object-based play offers a unique opportunity for social engagement.
• 😀 Sensory play activities like peekaboo, swinging, or horseplay focus attention between the caregiver and child, minimizing object mediation.
• 😀 A key characteristic of sensory social play is that the object, if present, serves as a secondary focus, and the interaction is between the adult and child.
• 😀 It's important to incorporate communication pauses in play to encourage the child to express their interest through gestures, eye contact, or vocalizations.
• 😀 Communication pauses are not passive waits but intentional, invitational pauses that encourage the child to initiate communication.
• 😀 When a child does not initiate communication, physical, verbal, or gestural support can help guide them to express their desires.
• 😀 Reciprocation in play is crucial—ensuring both the adult and child have active roles in the interaction creates mutual awareness of their involvement.
• 😀 Variation in play activities, such as switching between different games or actions, can extend the child’s engagement while maintaining their motivation.
• 😀 The goal is to engage in short, enjoyable interactions with pauses that allow the child to request the continuation of the play. Overextending play can cause disengagement.
• 😀 Integrating object-based activities into sensory play can be useful, with the social engagement from sensory play acting as a foundation for introducing object-focused activities.

Q & A

What is the main focus of this video regarding autism?

The video focuses on how to engage a child with autism through sensory and social play, specifically through activities that do not rely on objects but rather emphasize interaction between the child and the adult.

What are sensory social routines and can you give examples?

Sensory social routines involve play activities where the engagement occurs directly between the child and the adult, without a central object taking the attention. Examples include games like peekaboo, spinning, and horseplay, where the interaction between the adult and child is the primary focus.

How do sensory social routines help children with autism?

These routines are beneficial for children with autism because they offer a unique opportunity to increase social engagement, improve attention to social cues, and enhance communication, especially non-verbal forms like eye contact or gestures.

What is the key difference between sensory social routines and mere entertainment?

The key difference is the presence of a communicative act by the child. In sensory social routines, the child actively engages with the adult, signaling interest or participation through gestures, eye contact, or vocalizations. In contrast, mere entertainment lacks this active communication and engagement.

Why is it important to introduce pauses during play with a child with autism?

Introducing pauses during play is essential because it encourages the child to communicate, whether through gestures, eye contact, or vocalizations, to signal their desire to continue. This creates a reciprocal interaction, which is critical for building social communication skills.

What should a parent or professional do if the child does not communicate during the pause?

If the child does not communicate, the adult can provide support by modeling the desired behavior, such as raising their arms to indicate a wish for the game to continue. If the child still does not respond, physical assistance can be used to help the child perform the action, such as raising their arms.

What is the role of variation in sensory social routines?

Variation is key to maintaining the child's interest and motivation. By changing the actions within the same routine (e.g., switching from lifting the child to spinning them), the adult can sustain the child's engagement, ensuring that the play remains stimulating and enjoyable.

How do you know when to end a sensory social routine?

The routine should end when the child’s motivation starts to decrease. Continuing play when the child is no longer engaged can lead to frustration. It's better to end the play on a positive note, leaving the child wanting to play again later.

Why is it important to balance sensory social routines with object-based activities?

Balancing sensory social routines with object-based activities is important because it allows the child to gradually transition from social play to more structured play involving objects. This also helps reinforce social engagement while teaching the child to interact with objects in meaningful ways.

What should you do if a child does not enjoy sensory social routines?

If the child does not enjoy sensory social routines, it's important to start slowly and experiment with different types of routines. Not all children enjoy the same activities, so testing multiple routines and observing the child’s reactions can help identify what works best for them.