Category: Parent Talk
I'm not a parent but figured those who are, especially of younger children, could give me ideas. I know a man who's in his 50's but he's mentally retarded and Mom says he has the mind of a 12-year-old but I'd say younger. mom takes care of him sometimes. She's not a trained professional or anything, she just watches him to make sure he doesn't harm himself etc. I'm looking for fun and simple ideas to keep him occupied. Maybe a little game or something. He's had a hard life and he's such a sweet man. I really wanna make him smile. From the little I know of him, he repeats things alot, so perhaps very short memory games like a story of a few sentences and a question or two might be good. I know he likes to draw, so maybe some colouring books or a very simple puzzle would be good for him. He knows how to write a little and how to make sandwiches for himself. Any suggestions would really be appreciated.
My mom is a teacher for the mentally handicapped, and most of them have severe retardation. Some things I can think of off hand that she does wit them:
Sorting activities (maybe print/braille some flashcards with numbers or letters, and see who can put them in order the fastest, or create a matching game with them)
If he's good with numbers, and understands basic instructions, maybe a set of Dominos might be fun to play with
You can also order Print/Braille books from the NLS Braille Library, and you two could read together (Try to pick books that require a little thought; Arthur books have stories that relate to a person's life, even adults know the meanings of chores, a new member in the family, pets and learning new things, and all of those are presented in the Arthur books without sounding too babyish).
Make simple words with magnetic letters, (If you're good at feeling raised print, that is)
Just some ideas. HTH