When my son was younger, I often felt guilty about letting him watch children’s television and videos, especially since I kept hearing about the negative effects of too much screen time. I was amazed, however, by his ability to virtually memorize entire DVDs as well as by the amount of detail he could remember.
At some point, I started thinking about how to use videos as teaching tools rather than simply as entertainment. Because many of the social behaviors and problem solving skills demonstrated in the regular programs seemed to sail right by him, I began searching for videos that could provide some of the information I was trying so hard to convey.
One of the DVDs I came across was “Let’s Go To” produced by Special Kids. It covers the routines and expectations for going to many different places in the community, including the doctor’s office, the barber, the grocery store, the movie theater, and many more. He watched it eagerly, and I knew my investment had paid off when we went into the doctor’s office and Michael turned and cautioned me, “We may have to wait.”
Special Kids also has videos on self-help skills such as getting ready and other informational topics such as a day at school, as well as other related products including flashcards and books or CDs. A couple of other video series that have been used successfully by many parents are:
- Bounce from Spectrum Connections (a developmental series of videos on emotions, movement and more using music therapy)
- Vocabulary Builder from Baby BumbleBee (a series of videos focusing on language acquisition; they also have sets with action words and other concepts)
I’d love to hear what videos you have used as teaching tools, especially as your kids move into the elementary school ages, as well as your own creative solutions to the challenges you have encountered. For more details on how to participate, click here.