Creating Memories for Children with Learning Disabilities
Many children with disabilities have memory problems. Experiences may not move from a child’s short to long term memory without prompting – so creating memories can be an important part of facilitating that process.
This course examines the process of deciding to make memories for a child, questions to consider, and the steps along the way, including examples.
· Deciding to try and make memories for a child you support.
· Who are the memories primarily for – child, family members, friends. Does this affect the content?
· Thinking about the needs of the individual child – do they have sensory impairments, language delay and other issues which may affect how the memories are made?
· Are the memories to be of individual experiences only, or to include group experiences such as family outings, school class outings?
· What physical form should the created memories take?
Examples: photographic books, memory boxes, recordings, tactile stories,
· How the memories created can be used: to help development of child’s sense of their own identity.