Paediatric Occupational Therapy

The ‘Right to Play’ is included in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Outdoor play contributes to children's overall development, physical and mental health and quality of life. Unfortunately, children with disabilities often experience restrictions while playing outdoors. Understanding children's perspectives is crucial to effectively support them in participating. The aim of this study was to explore facilitators and barriers perceived by Dutch children with and without disabilities (6–12 years), in regular and special primary education, for participating in inclusive outdoor play. The findings included three main themes: personal factors of children with and without disabilities, interacting factors and environmental factors. Children with and without disabilities in regular and special primary education identify facilitators and barriers in personal, interacting and environmental factors for inclusive outdoor play. Children with disabilities encounter more barriers than those without disabilities. All children are open to playing together, and paediatric rehabilitation professionals and parents play a crucial role in facilitating positive play experiences early on, providing knowledge about the consequences of disabilities, showcasing the capabilities of children with disabilities and collaborating to adapt playgrounds.

🌟 CanChild Co-Author: Jan Willem Gorter

🔗 Read more: https://ow.ly/mV3650XNUI3

Enjoy creative ways to meet and match where a child is at to support powering up of down

We've had some really GREAT consultations with schools this week!

We cannot express how AMPED we get when we see school staff really, truly embracing students profiles and providing AUTHENTIC regulatory support. (not just token fidgets and movement breaks).

You might wonder what you are looking at. You are looking at ingenious support in an integrated kindergarten class with close to 30 students in it..

See that yellow taped square? That's a movement spot for the kindergarten kiddo on the carpet just to the left of it.

Why does he access it? He's a kiddo who processes information and sustains attention more easily when he is getting intense input or in motion. (Check out his feet positioning in the pic. Definitely not criss cross applesauce).

How does he access it? He slides on over to it when his body needs to MOVE. (sometimes with encouragement to do so, sometimes independently)

What can he do there? Any movement that keeps his body within the square. He can also pull from a range of seating surfaces near by and bring other tools in if needed.

How long can he stay there? As long as he needs. The teacher engages him in that spot just like she would if he were on the carpet.

How do the other kids react? It's just part of the classroom culture. This teaching team is working to help their young students understand that "different brains need different things to learn and engage."

Is he the only one who has this option? Nope. He's not. There is at least one other student that has a taped square next to their spot to help them stay engaged in group learning opportunities by providing them with the input they need to make it possible.

What about everyone else? There are other places in the classroom that all students can move their bodies if needed. We witnessed several kids getting up and moving about with no interruption to the lesson. We might advocate for a "Standing Room" only spot at the back of the carpet that any of young learner in the classroom can use.

Are there times that it's not the right support? Absolutely. Supports are not 100 percent effective all the time, as sources of dysregulation vary. So, the team absolutely has other tools in their tool box. But, this is a great first "go to" strategy for this young person.

Did he "just know how to use it?" Absolutely not. All regulation strategies that aren't naturally sought by an individual take some degree of teaching, length of time, and opportunity for practice. This team knows it! They also know that supporting regulation is the key to classroom engagement

❤️💛

Image description - part of a classroom rug. You can see 2 of the 30 students' backs. One little is on his knees with feet stacked underneath him. There is a yellow square taped next to him, so he can move as needed and also be out of direct visual line of other children - but the