Pediatric pragmatic play is an approach used by speech-language pathologists and other healthcare professionals to help children develop their communication skills through play-based activities.
Playgroups, guided by professionals, provide an opportunity for children to interact with other children in a fun and safe environment.
Pediatric pragmatic play focuses on developing skills like:
turn-taking
social interaction
cooperation
social problem-solving (e.g., how to handle a friend not sharing)
verbal communication
nonverbal communication (e.g., eye contact and body language)
sharing
confidence
empathy
social initiation (e.g., approaching a new friend)
Playgroups (sometimes written as “play groups”) can also help to promote physical development, as children engage in gross motor and fine motor activities while playing.
By incorporating play into therapy sessions, children are more likely to stay engaged and motivated, leading to more effective outcomes.
How To Know If Your Child Will Benefit From A Pragmatic Playgroup
Pragmatic play therapy is for children of all ages and all abilities. Group play activities can be tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of each child.
Playgroups can be beneficial for children who may have specific needs or challenges.
Here are a few common disorders that can benefit from pragmatic playgroups:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Children with ASD may have difficulty with social interaction, communication, and play skills. Playgroups be very beneficial to develop social skills and communication strategies through play-based activities.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Children with ADHD may struggle with impulse control and may have difficulty following rules and taking turns during play. Playgroups can provide a structured environment to promote self-regulation and encourage positive social behaviors.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Children with social anxiety may feel uncomfortable in social situations and may avoid interacting with others. Playgroups can provide a supportive and non-threatening environment that helps these children to build confidence and practice social skills at their own pace.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Children with ODD may exhibit defiance and oppositional behavior, which can make it difficult to engage in cooperative play. Playgroups can provide opportunities to practice negotiation and conflict resolution skills, as well as positive social behaviors that require patience and empathy, like sharing and taking turns.
Speech-Language Disorders: Children with language disorders may have difficulty communicating. Playgroups can facilitate language fluency and help with developing friendships.
What Are Some Common Activities At A Pragmatic Playgroup For Children?
You never know what you’ll get at one of our pragmatic playgroups at All 4 Therapy LLC. We love sharing new experiences (and making them comfortable for our little ones who are sensitive).
Here are just a few of the activities we might do in our playgroup:
Role-playing games and pretend play: Kitchen play, grocery store, and construction are favorites.
Building activities: We love blocks, Legos, Duplo, and more!
Crafts and art projects: Coloring, sensory bottles, cutting with scissors when appropriate, stickers and glue—it’s all fun!
Board games and card games: We have so many great games that encourage positive social experiences!
Sensory play: Sand, water, play dough, slime, bubbles—we love it all.
Movement and dance activities: We love putting on some tunes and shaking our sillies out.
Storytime and books: We know which books kids love, and it’s so much fun to talk about them.
We are also able to customize our playgroup therapy activities based on the specific needs of each group.
What Skills Do Our Therapists Use To Lead A Pragmatic Playgroup?
Can “anyone” run a pragmatic playgroup?
While our therapists believe deeply in giving parents the tools they need to help their children at home, we believe that a good pragmatic playgroup should be led by a trained and experienced professional therapist.
Here are a few of the skills our therapists use to facilitate a playgroup that leads to positive development:
Knowledge of child development: Our therapists have a deep understanding of child development, including how children learn and develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. And—most importantly—we know how to take that theoretical knowledge and create actionable, effective strategies.
Ability to create a safe and supportive environment: Our therapists know that children can be shy or hesitant to engage in play with others. That’s where our love, compassion, and enthusiasm come into play. We help our children every step of the way.
Strong communication skills: You simply can’t teach strong communication skills if you don’t already have them. Our therapists are top-notch. We know the strategies that keep children engaged and happy.
Ability to use play as a therapeutic tool: Our therapists have experience. When pragmatic play is done right, children barely even know that they’re learning. They’re just having fun.
Knowledge of evidence-based practices: Our therapists have knowledge of evidence-based practices for working with children, including play-based interventions.
Improvisation: Sometimes, a playgroup activity doesn’t go as planned. Our therapists are creative and agile; we can change gears quickly to create the best possible playgroup experience.
Ability to develop and implement treatment plans: Each child in a playgroup has their own challenges and needs. As therapists, we look at every child as an individual in order to create a satisfying experience all around.
Ability to work collaboratively with parents and other professionals: We work collaboratively with other professionals involved in the child's care, such as pediatricians and teachers. And we also believe there’s no better advocate for a child than their own parent or guardian, so we are dedicated to open communication with caregivers.
Once a parent or guardian has spent some time observing our playgroups, they will be able to learn from the techniques we use and incorporate them into their own play dates, playground meet-ups, and family gatherings.
In that sense, pragmatic play can be as beneficial for adults as for children.
What Is Functional Play Therapy?
Pragmatic play therapy and functional play often go hand in hand. We often explore functional play activities in our pragmatic playgroups.
Functional play is a type of play in which children engage in activities that involve manipulating objects, actions, and movements that have a clear purpose or function.
Here’s an example: a child engaging in functional play may stack blocks to build a tower, fit puzzle pieces together to form a picture, or push a toy car around a track.
The child is focused on achieving a specific goal or outcome.
Functional play is an important part of child development, as it helps children learn about cause and effect, develop problem-solving skills, and build their cognitive and motor skills.
As children grow and develop, they may progress from engaging in simple functional play to more complex types of play that involve imaginative or creative elements.
Our playgroups incorporate elements of functional play, as well as art therapy, sensory therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when appropriate, music therapy, drama therapy, and child-centered play therapy.
10 Questions To Ask Before Enrolling Your Child In A Pragmatic Playgroup
If you believe that your child might benefit from pragmatic play, we hope you will reach out to us or another provider to get your child the help they need.
Here are some of the questions you may want to ask before starting pragmatic play:
What is the age range of the children in the group?
What is the maximum number of children in each group session?
What is the duration of each session, and how often does the group meet?
What types of activities are typically included in each session?
What is the goal of the group, and how will my child benefit from participating?
What are the qualifications and training of the group leader or therapist?
How is progress tracked and communicated to parents?
What is the cost of the group, and is it covered by insurance?
How is the group structured, and how are children grouped together?
How are behavioral issues and conflicts managed during group sessions?
Want Your Child To Join Our Northern NJ Pragmatic Playgroup?
We may have available openings at a playgroup in our Haskell, NJ office.
Please contact us to ask about availability.
We love helping children learn through functional and pragmatic play!
Comments