For educators

Children with Special Needs and Bubbles.

What can bubbles do? Bring people together.

I recently brought my bubbles to a kindy where there was child with autism. They did not engage in the big bubbles or wands but after everyone left they quietly put their hands the bubble solution and rubbed their hands together feeling the texture. I quietly approached and dipped my hands into the solution and made a circle using my thumb and index finger and gently blew a bubble. They stopped and stared! They sat next to me and gestured for me to do it again.  After a couple more demos they tried themselves.  When they finally got a bubble formed they squealed.  Their excitement drew a couple of children over.  The children watched fascintated as the child with autism blew another bubble.  "Can we try too ____?", they asked.  The child nodded and the three of them continued to blow hand bubbles together until I took the solution away at lunch time.  I left some solution with the TA. When I went back the TA told me that the bubbles had left such an impression on the child that they would ask for them, commuicating "bubble" clearly.  They extended the desire for bubbles by telling the child with autism to find two people to come do bubbles with them.  The child had to ask two friends to play and then share the bubble solution with them.

Bubbles: good for communication and social interaction opportunities.

What could you do with bubbles and special child?