DEVELOPMENTAL STIMULATION
What is developmental stimulation? It is one of those activities that you see listed on almost every IFSP form. Is this something you need a degree in early childhood to learn?
Not at all, actually, it is something most of us do naturally with young children, and that is helping them to develop their language, social, physical and cognitive skills. With children with disabilities, it may take some changes to make it possible for them to have the same experiences as other children. For example, if the child in the picture holding the present is visually impaired, we may want to describe the package he is holding using shapes, texture and sounds.
"What do you think is in the box, Ricky? It feels kind of hard, doesn't it? Feel that? It's wrapping paper. It's all wrapped up. It's a present for you. Listen to that! The paper makes a crinkly sound."
Does that conversation sound funny to you? If it does, please, please keep reading. One of the biggest 'disadvantages' of disadvantaged young children is the amout of live language they experience, that is, language not from a TV but from a live person.
The dictionary defines "stimulate" as "to excite activity or growth". So, our goal is to cause children to grow and become more active in language, in thought, in social interaction and in physical skills. Let's start with language and a very short (I promise) introduction to how children learn to talk.
