Info V Best Answers To A Child's Questions To Encourage Executive Performance Skills
Today's post service is yesteryear a invitee blogger, Paige Hays, OTR. She is an occupational therapist who provides in-home, pediatric occupational therapy services inwards the S subway scheme expanse of the Twin Cities, MN through Paige Hays, Therapy Services, LLC. She is a woman bring upward of ii girls, avid DIYer, together with a highly skilled together with experienced OT. She specializes inwards working inwards pediatrics, amongst various expertise ranging from knowledge together with sensory issues to working amongst children amongst neuromuscular disabilities or complex medical needs. Today she offers the v best answers to a child's questions to encourage executive performance skills. Anyone who industrial plant amongst children knows that children enquire Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 LOT of questions. They enquire because they desire to larn things. They enquire because they already know things together with simply desire to confirm it. They enquire to brand conversation. They enquire to acquire attention. And sometime they simply enquire (and ask, together with ask, together with and thus enquire again). The truth is that children are trying to verbalize to us, trying to engage amongst us, together with trying to larn from us. It is a pedagogy moment- don’t miss it!
Many of the children I piece of work amongst every bit an occupational therapist fighting amongst executive performance skills (such every bit children on the autism spectrum, children amongst learning disabilities together with attending disorders, together with children amongst developmental delays). One of the best tools (and habits) I usage every bit a therapist is that I rarely reply children's questions directly. Instead, I regain that giving answers that encourage the kid to think together with respond are a corking agency to prepare executive performance skills together with higher marker thinking, such as:
- making inferences
- using logic together with reasoning
- problem solving
- flexible thinking
- making predictions
- critical thinking together with skepticism
- social together with conversation skills
5. What practice yous think?
Example: Child: Why can't I consume the playdoh? Adult: What practice yous think?
The quickest together with easiest answer. Often a corking agency to halt repetitive questioning when the kid knows the reply together with is simply seeking attending or needs to confirm a dominion or boundary (remember children larn through repetition, thus confirming an reply they already know is an of import component division of learning to command one’s demeanour together with prepare self-regulation skills). I also regain that for children amongst oppositional or defiant demeanour patterns this is an approach to construct shared command together with promote compliance. For children who fighting amongst social skills, this may hold out an elbow grease at appointment together with yesteryear bespeak a inquiry inwards render yous tin give the axe driblet dead along to piece of work on the co-regulation skills needed for functional conversation skills.
- How tin give the axe nosotros regain out? Who could nosotros ask? Where could nosotros regain that answer?
Example: Child: Why is the remainder beam tippy today? Adult: I'm non sure, how could nosotros regain out? (and how tin give the axe amongst create it?)
When in that place is truly an reply to hold out discovered, giving them clues nigh how they could regain out on their own. This is a corking run a jeopardy to render a “just right challenge” for their cognitive skills yesteryear providing hints together with clues (scaffolding) together with leading them to regain an answer. The procedure of regain is a corking fourth dimension to piece of work on the steps of problem-solving: initiation of action, making a plan, executing a plan, monitoring together with self-correction of work, together with occupation completion.
- I don't know, let's brand a approximate together.
Example: Child: Why is the swing squeaking? Adult: I don't know, let's hold off closely together with brand a approximate together?
When in that place isn't an reply or in that place is non an age-appropriate answer, it is ok to brand a approximate together (or a theory or hypothesis for older children). This is a corking fourth dimension to focus on flexible thinking skills, particularly for children who are rattling literal or think inwards absolutes (black together with white thinking). The cognitive science of making a approximate tin give the axe hold out difficult for children, but amongst a therapist role modeling for them it tin give the axe stretch them to a greater extent than complex thinking skills (don’t hold out surprised if a child’s approximate is completely wrong, beingness right or incorrect isn’t the point!)
- What could hap if yous ____? (Or, how would that brand ____ feel?)
Example: Child: Can I article of apparel my tutu inwards OT? Adult: What mightiness hap to a tutu spell nosotros swing or play amongst shaving cream today? How would yous experience if your tutu got dirty?
Children oftentimes enquire "what if" or "can I" questions. Rather than answer, allow the kid think nigh the reasoning behind the answer. It is a corking run a jeopardy to brand predictions nigh consequences of actions (a primal component division of developing self-regulation). This is a corking agency to construct social skills every bit well, focusing on theory of mind, social thinking, together with emotional rule skills.
- Give an outrageous or featherbrained reply together with allow them right you.
Example: Child: Can I launder my hands? Adult: Nope, this calendar week at OT nosotros are alone washing our elbows together with ears.
My favorite response is to give an reply that makes absolutely no sense. Children beloved to right adults together with hold out "right," together with this gives a wonderful run a jeopardy to bring your kid attempt out to convince yous through logic skills. This also helps to construct a salubrious sum of skepticism (and critical thinking skills) that all children need. This tin give the axe hold out difficult for children who are rattling literal or fighting amongst linguistic communication skills, but tin give the axe also introduce a corking chance to construct social skills, sense of humor, spell promoting higher marker thinking skills.
Here is to a greater extent than information nigh executive component division yesteryear Paige Hays Therapy Services, LLC
- What is it similar to fighting amongst executive functioning?
- Impulse Control: Home Activities together with Games
- Now What? What parents, teachers, together with therapists tin give the axe practice to assistance inwards everyday life amongst executive component division together with self-regulation skills.
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