Play Based Therapy

Let’s Play! 

Why is play-based therapy so effective? Because it is a natural way to target speech and language skills by incorporating highly motivating activities, using a variety of learning styles, and following the child’s lead. Spending 15-20 minutes a day playing one-on-one with your child can help promote vocabulary skills, learn social rules, and improve joint attention with others.  

Where do I start?  

The first step is to observe. To find the most motivating activities, simply observe what your child is already playing with. Be a detective and see how they are playing with their toys. This will show you why it is interesting to them. Once you understand why it is motivating and exciting to them, then you are ready to play too! 

How do I play?  

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so copy exactly what they are doing. If they are feeding a baby doll, grab a baby and feed it. If they are organizing their crayons by size, find some crayons and organize them, too. If they are building a city out of blocks, gather some blocks and build alongside them. I think you get the picture. There is no wrong way to play, so there is no need to change what they are doing or tell them what to say or do. 

Once you’re in the zone, start commenting on what’s happening. While feeding the baby, say “yum-yum” or “more cookies.” When organizing crayons, “big crayon,” “blue crayon,” “broken crayon” are all relevant to what your child is seeing and experiencing.  Because you are commenting on things they are experiencing they are learning through auditory models, visual representation, and kinesthetic play.  

Don’t forget to share 

After copying and commenting on their play, pause and see what they do. If your child looks at you, continues to play, or repeats what you have done, then they want to keep the fun going! Take another turn feeding the baby or dumping out the crayons. By pausing you are teaching your child that it is their turn to communicate with you through gestures, facial expressions, and/or words.  

Rachael Alter M.S, CCC-SLP