Solitary play is exactly what you might think. It is a child playing all by himself with no regards to anything or anyone around him. This is great for an older baby but it becomes concerning if a child ages out of the baby/early toddler stage and this is how he plays exclusively. He may even tell grandma that he played with his friends afterward when never socially engaged with anyone else. If you see this type of play and want to teach him how to play in other ways...here are a few ideas.
- Work on joint attention so there is a human connection in the playtime. This could be playing peek a boo or rolling a ball to each other. Any simple activity that can be shared will work just fine. Making eye contact is very important. Try to make it fun. When eye contact is a demand it takes a lot of your child's willingness to participate away.
- If he plays with toys in a way that isn't typical, encourage demonstrate and play with him to use the toy "functionally." In order to develop social interaction and play skills with peers, he needs to understand how toys are played with by others.
- Point out others who are around your child while he is playing. You might say, "Jon, show Thomas the Train to Daddy." If he doesn't seem to hear you, this is another area that will need some help. It is important that you get the child's attention when you speak to him. This can be very hard especially if you let too many months and years go by before concentrating on this skill.
Next week we will look at some Playskills to develop after these are in place. Happy playing!
Posted with Blogsy