Some pre-school activities to improve well-being of disabled children

Pre-school is an extremely important part in the life of a child. Their physical and mental health must be monitored during these years. There are many schools that reach out to disabled children through early intervention programmes and therapies. They also have trained special educators that help in empowering children. The right programmes help in building self-esteem, friendships and developing skills of a disabled child.

Ruby Singh is the founder of Assisted Living for Autistic Adults (ALFAA) in Bengaluru.

Early intervention programmes are a must for young kids. This must be teamed up with various therapies like speech, occupational and behavioural therapies. Physical activities are also important for children. The more you explore with activities for the child, the more it helps them. Word games and picture cards are some of the other activities that can be done- Ruby Singh, Founder, ALFAA.

Here are some of the activities for pre-school children that help to improve their well-being

• Yoga- This age old practice needs no introduction. Yoga helps in developing the mental and physical well-being of a person. So for children with disabilities, yoga is an ideal way to improve oneself. If there are no trained yoga teachers in schools, they can hire yoga trainers who can come and take sessions every day, at least for an hour.
• Art- We all know that music, theatre and dance has a great impact on human beings. That is why art is an extremely important part of our lives. It helps to enhance you in numerous ways. Today, all schools for children with and without disabilities have incorporated art as an important part of their curriculum. For a disabled child, art can do wonders! Introduce them to music and dance. Let them explore and enjoy the world of art on their own.
• Outdoor games- For children who have lesser mobility skills, outdoor games are very important. Most of the time, disabled children prefer sitting inside the four walls of their homes or schools. Teachers and special educators must ensure that the child explores new things on their own. Let them go out and breathe some fresh air and play with sand and greens. Let them dirty their clothes when they get closer to nature. There is no perfect therapy other than nature’s therapy!
• Introduction to books- Books are going to be an inevitable part of lives of all human beings. So the right time to start introducing a person to books is during their pre-school. Today, there are many exclusive story and picture books available for children with disabilities. Get hold of some of them and introduce the child to the world of literature!

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