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How can parents nurture kids with special needs through play? That’s the question Anna Rodriguez answers in this post. Take a look and then add your own ideas in the comment box.

Raising a child with special needs is one of the daunting tasks parents can ever face. The cases of children having special needs are on the rise. Amy Fenton Lee stated in her article for The Inclusive Church that a recent statistics study reveals 19% of Americans are known to have been suffering from one or more disabilities.

Play nurtures your child’s physical and emotional well-being. An article in the American Journal of Play reveals that a lack of play contributes to emotional problems among kids, such as anxiety, depression and issues of attention and self-control. Here are nine ways to nurture kids with special needs through play.

Nurture Kids with Special Needs with Mind-Boggling Games and Puzzles

Special children enjoy getting their hands on games and puzzles. Let your kid figure out how to work on some games and puzzles in the playground equipment in your backyard. Challenge your kid’s brain. Train your kid in easing difficulties in doing tasks using fine motor skills. Adjust the level of difficulty of the games and puzzles according to your child’s needs to get the best results.

Nurture Kids with Special Needs through Hearing

A talking laptop that teaches words, letters, games and characters makes a great partner for a playground activity. Engage in an interactive running contest with your kid in your backyard, while referring to the prompts coming out of the talking laptop as signals. Kids learn from the cause-effect scenarios by using the talking laptop, as he pushes its button and gets a response.

Nurture Kids with Special Needs through Independence

Of course, as a parent, you’d want your kid to be not too dependent on you and other family members. If your kid has a problem with upper joint mobility, look for accessible playgrounds that work great in partnership with a toy that accommodate your child’s weaknesses. Elefun’s cascading butterflies match slower movements of your child.

Nurture Kids with Special Needs through Sensory-Rich Activities

Kids have fun playing with big toys such as Lego on an accessible sand and water table. Let your kid enjoy your indoor play area and give him toys that will cater to his specific physical accommodation needs. Playgrounds empower children with special needs and give kids opportunities to escape the daily chaos in life. Hours of endless fun crawling inside playground equipment, like tunnels refocus kids’ concentration. The infinite loop exercises the upper body dexterity of your kid if he is in a wheelchair, while keeping him entertained for hours on his seat.

Nurture Kids with Special Needs from the Heart

When you take care of your special kids, you need to keep in mind that your kid needs your love and support more than anything. Have an open mind that your kid may be struggling with many issues other kids may not face. Extend extra patience and love when caring for your child’s welfare and needs. Make him feel that he is no different than anyone but is equally valued.

How Do You Nurture Kids with Special Needs?

What would you add to this list? Leave a comment in the box below. Thanks!

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