Having fun with leisure

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Leisure skills are probably the second most important skills to target in developing children, behind social skills. Think of it this way: when you have nothing to do, what do you do? For kids who don’t have preferences or a leisure repertoire, the answer is usually something that’s getting them into trouble. A kid with something functional to do is much less likely to get in trouble.

In addition to targeting behavior for decrease and the usual skills for increase (asking for a break or help, etc), I almost always recommend targeting leisure skills to help decrease challenging behavior. How to teach a leisure repertoire and deciding which activities/skills to target are frequently debated in ABA. Is it more appropriate to teach a 12-year-old to play with trucks because it’s age-appropriate or should he be allowed to watch Elmo videos because that’s what he finds reinforcing? How do you decide if you should teach him how to put together jigsaw puzzles or engage in pretend play with a Hot Wheels race track?

Instead of focusing on particular themes or characters (Paw Patrol, Thomas the Tank Engine, Sesame Street, Barbie, etc), I try to teach more general skills: coloring pages, connect-the-dots, word searches, puzzles, alongside specific pretend play sequences (playing with dolls or superheroes).

  • Coloring pages: Depending on the age and fine motor skills of the child, I sometimes have to start with simpler tasks before working up to coloring a page.
    • If staying in the lines is a challenge, I first work on coloring in the lines with simple shapes. Sometimes it’s necessary to outline the shape and remind the child to stay within the borders of the same color. You could also buy Wiki Sticks to place along the edges of the shape to form a more physical barrier to keep the child coloring within the lines.
    • If coloring each area of a coloring page a different color is a challenge, I use color-by-number pages so the child can learn to color with different crayons or markers to create a colorful picture. It often helps to begin with simple pages (only 4 or 5 colors) and increase the number of colors present.
  • When teaching connect-the-dots or word searches, it’s most helpful to start with simple worksheets and gradually increase complexity as the child becomes more independent and proficient with the skill.

Once individual skills have been mastered, they can be added to a schedule the child must follow and complete before having access to a reward (time on a tablet, a snack, etc).

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