Using routines to support your child with disabilities

Parents play a crucial role in their child’s development. While specialized professional support is valuable, children learn most effectively through daily interactions in familiar environments with familiar and significant to them people. The skills learned throughout these interactions can be easily carried over by children to other settings, with different people or at different times of the day. 

Here are some tips on engaging with your child:   

• Your children may or may not be able to speak, depending on their condition. Even if they cannot speak, try to create a communication-rich environment as part of your daily family routines: talk to your child, use cards with simple images (e.g. toothbrush for brushing teeth), body movements or assistive technologies, to engage children in a dialogues around different routines or activities taking place in their everyday life.  Pay attention to the child’s reaction and respond to their cues as this responsive, two-way interaction is critical for your child’s development.   
• Try to involve your child in your daily actions as much as possible. As you complete chores or tasks, take your child with you and tell them what you are doing. Describe the things you are working with or those surrounding your child – their shape, texture, smell, taste etc. Allow your child to touch, smell and experience some of these things.    
• Include playing with your child in your daily schedule. Read to them, do crafts together, sing with them, or explore outside together. If they don’t like a particular play or action that you are doing, they will let you know with verbal or body language. Stop this action and try something else.  
• If you don’t have a lot of time to play with your child, there may be other family members, such as siblings or a grandparent, in your home who will be able to engage them. It is important for you to encourage play between siblings to support their bond.