Communication and play

Play is the most natural way for children to learn about their world and interact with those around them. The following articles describe the development of play and how it can be used to support speech, language and communication development.

During play children combine many skills such as movement, thinking, attention, seeing, listening and, of course, communicating. It follows that children with a difficulty in one or more of these skills can be helped to progress through play.

Play is important throughout life; this means that parents are often keen to learn how play can be used to help their child develop communication skills. It is also worth remembering that even teenagers learn through playful interaction with others.

 

To find out more about Communication and Play for different age groups and settings read the following articles:

• Play and Play Therapy: Carole Kaldor, SLT and Lowenfeld Projective Play Therapist at Meath School , I CAN, describes why play is important for development and the Lowenfeld therapeutic approach
• Lowenfeld Play Therapy: Carole Kaldor uses a case study to illustrate using Lowenfeld Mosaics for a child with speech and language difficulties
• Play and Communication – Core themes in the Parents Plus Early Years Programme: John Sharry (social worker and psychotherapist), Grainne Hampson (speech and language therapist) and Mary Fanning (speech and language therapist and Marte Meo therapist) have recently published a book Parenting Preschoolers and Young People and have reproduced the chapters on play and communication for Talking Point users to download. Download these chapters here.
• Basic Skills Agency: Language and Play. Elizabeth Jarman writes about the Basic Skills Agency's language and play programme for the 0-3 age group and includes a case study
• It's not just play – it's learning: Sue Crane, SLT working at a child development centre, outlines the stages of play development and gives parents guidelines for playing with children
• Play and communication: Non-directive therapy: Rosemary Bazley, SLT describes the use of non-directive play therapy to develop language skills in pre-school age children

The following are a collection of articles from one borough to represent real examples of ongoing practice:

• A Case Study of Play Intervention:  Karen Jerwood, a portage worker, describes how she uses play to develop early communication in a child with Down's Syndrome
• Stay, Play and Learn Altogether: Karen Cooke, SLT, describes a group programme that brings non-directive play to three year olds with social communication difficulty
• Using Sensory Stories: The Snowman: Jane Chapman, SLT, explains how to set up and run a sensory story to use Intensive Interaction play with children of all ages