Be Your Child’s Play Coach

Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO

Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

Be Your Child’s Play Coach Agenda

• The Foundation:
Fern Sussman, SLP
Parent/ChildInteraction
reg. CASLPO – Developing Perspective Taking and Empathy
The Hanen Centre – Pretend play as a Context for Making Friends
(Toronto)
ASA • The Play Date
July 12, 2008 – Social Play Skills Continuum
– The Parent as Play Coach

Steps in TOM Development Understanding What Helps a Child Learn “Tuning

for Child with ASD In”(TOM) Skills?
Peterson, C. & Wellman, H. (2005) Child Development 5. False Beliefs

4. Hidden Feelings • Parent talk (input)

• Having the words to
3. Seeing leads to Knowing
talk about what’s on
someone’s mind
2. Thinking
– E.g. “same/different,”
1. Wanting “think,” “says,”
“pretend”

Parents learn to involve their child in

Parents Use The 4 S’s to highlight tuning-in conversations using the “I-
what they way & what they don’t say Cues”
The I’s…
•Include the child’s
interests, ideas and words
•Interpret his message
•Introduce your own ideas
…help parent take his turn
The Cues…
•Comment… and wait
•Ask a question…and wait
•Hint…and wait
•Make a suggestion… and
wait
…tell the child it’s his turn
•Visuals

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.
 Be Your Child’s Play Coach
Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO
Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

Stage 1: Understanding Stage 2: Understanding thinking

(around 4 years in TC)
Wanting You like all of
the train
books. Emma Children figure out
likes books
Looking at something, with
I think that
that what someone
cloud looks like
often means you princesses. a bunny. What
do you think? believes (e.g., “He
want it.
thinks,” “He
Around 2 years of age,
children know
knows”) affects
others want and like what that person
things that might will do and feel
not be the same as
the things that they
want and like.

Stage 3: Understanding that seeing Stage 4: Understanding hidden feelings

leads to knowing (around 5 years in TC)
I’m playing With what?? It’s nice.
with this, Child understands: You
Dad. wanted
People don’t always a bike!
feel the way they
appear to.
People don’t always
feel the way they
say they do
Sometimes people
hide what they really
feel (tease, lie, joke)

Stage 5: Understanding
False Beliefs (5 years in TC) The Power of Pretending on TOM
Will Mom know
where we’re hiding • Beginning of I have a bird in
my hand. Let me
People act according to her present? understanding see.
what they believe to false beliefs
It’s not a real
be true, not what • Fosters flexible bird. It’s a

really is thinking pretend bird.

• Social-dramatic
Yes. Cause
we’re putting play requires
it in the teamwork (build
drawer.
on the ideas of
your playmate and
consider his
feelings)

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.
 Be Your Child’s Play Coach
Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO
Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

Social-dramatic Play Parents Learn to…

• Join in
• Always involves • Model the next step (depends on child’s stage)
playing with others First:
• Involves a special Help the child understand when you’re
language to plan and pretending by your tone of voice, facial
expression
create the make-
Then:
believe
Help the child understand that people can play
• Involves language to with something they create with their mind
tune in to child’s play Finally:
partner Help the child tune in to his play partner

Parents learn to model… Best to start…

• Problem solving and negotiating with play In the safest environment
partner With adults at home before trying it
• Agreeing or disagreeing with his play out with other children
partner’s suggestions
• Building on the ideas of play partner
• Asking play partner his opinion

p 151 TalkAbility

Tips for Parent/Child Play The Play Date

• Plan ahead to avoid problems later
• Use problem-solving words
• Focus on the positive
• Talk about how people are feeling
• Talk about consequences
• Teach your child something different to do or say
to replace inappropriate behaviours
• Help your child figure out what else he can do
• Use a visual helper to work out the problem
• Choose your battles

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.
 Be Your Child’s Play Coach
Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO
Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

No Social Play Skills Some Social Play Skills

• No social play skills • Enjoys physical play
– Not interested with other children
– Interested but doesn’t – Physical activities
know what to do – Activities done in
unison
– Shares some material
• Goals • Goals
– Stay – Initiate
– Stay and play beside – Stay, Play & Talk

Many Social Play Skills The Parent as Play Coach

• Plays turn-taking games
• Teams up to make things • Set Up
• Pretends with other children
• Gets stuck and can’t • Step In
problem-solve
Goals: • Step Out
Tune in:
• Build on friend’s ideas
• Agree or disagree with
friend
• Problem-solve

Find a Friend Boys as Friends

• Do the children like • Don’t focus much on
one another? tuning in to the feelings of
others
• Do the children have • Spend a lot of time in
similar interests? physical play
• Is the other child • A lot of one-upmanship
friendly? • Like to impress by saying
• How many? a rude word or doing
something naughty
• Siblings? • A friend who’s feelings
• Age? might not get easily hurt if
• Girl or boy? child tells it like it is.

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.
 Be Your Child’s Play Coach
Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO
Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

Girls as Friends Set Up

• More interested in • Place and time
sharing their thoughts • Include structured
and feelings and unstructured
• A good friend for a playtime
boy who needs • Create teamwork
direction

Set Up Choose the right toys and activities

• Discuss and rehearse • Large play equipment
before the play date • Plan an activity that
and before activities children can do in
– With child alone unison (singing),
– With child and his especially if the goal
friend is to stay and play
• Not too many toys
• Have duplicates
• Things to share

Rehearse Step In
Do you want a turn? • When?
– Children aren’t staying
together
– Children aren’t playing
together
– The children aren’t
talking to each other
– The children get stuck

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.
 Be Your Child’s Play Coach
Fern Sussman, SLP reg. CASLPO
Autism Society of America - July 12, 2008- Orlando FL

Step In Mopsy
jumped on
Cues from the Coach’s Corner
Tom’s last
fort and
Mopsy broke it. • Visual cues
broke it!
• Questions
How?
• Hints
–Coach from • Suggestions (comes
the sidelines in handy when child
directs conversation
or
to adult)
–Join in • Tell
• Coach both children

Step In by Joining in Do you have food And then Step Out

for my baby?
1 2 Conor, could Nigel OK, and I’ll bring
Here’s your run the restaurant
Hot dogs. my baby to his
hot dog. now? restaurant.

3 4 Mister, could you

Mister, is there
order milk for baby?
something my baby
can eat?

Milk!

Visuals Can Help Video Can Help

It’s mine! What’s Jack
thinking?
Feeling?

What else
could you
say?

© Hanen Early Language Program. All rights

reserved.