Empowering Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: The Key to Inclusive Play
Through this engaging discussion, I had the opportunity to speak with Bianca Mendonca who shed light on promoting access to play for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. It was a fantastic talk, emphasizing the significance of interprofessional communication and collaboration in the early intervention setting to support these children fully. Let’s delve in more fully to the topics discussed.
The Power of Teamwork and Collaboration
Bianca emphasized the importance of interprofessional communication and collaboration in the early intervention setting for children with developmental needs. She shares her experience of a beneficial co-treatment with an occupational therapist, highlighting the significance of a holistic approach to children’s support.
Barriers and Solutions: Access to Play for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Our discussion touched on the barriers children with neurodevelopmental disabilities face in play, including physical, social, and exploratory play limitations. It emphasized the need for inclusive play areas and empowering caregivers to support children in overcoming movement challenges through positioning in natural daily routines.
Two approaches to addressing children’s access to play: changing the environment around the child and positioning the child to increase access to play. She advocates for the importance of integrating therapy into the child’s play environment and emphasizes the need for inclusive practices by modifying the entire environment.
The Importance of Positioning and Inclusive Practices
In our discussion, Bianca shared real-life examples of how to position children to promote success in activities like tummy time and stresses the importance of finding a balance between using adaptive equipment and allowing free movement and exploration. Further, she explained the use of containers to provide children with neurodevelopmental disabilities access to positions they would otherwise not be able to achieve.
Supporting Children’s Needs and Resources
In her interview, Bianca highlighted the importance of thoughtful positioning and interprofessional collaboration in supporting children with neuromotor disabilities in play. Our discussion underscored the need for a collaborative, inclusive, and environment-modifying approach to promote access to play for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
In conclusion, it is imperative to empower both caregivers and therapists to create a rich and supportive play environment for these children, allowing them to thrive and develop to their fullest potential.