Low cost or free ideas for structured interaction?

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My son who is four and non-verbal actually enjoys playing around other children, he isn't directly playing with them but he plays alongside them almost or makes up his own interpretation. Like some kids can be running around and he acts as if they are chasing him and has fun even if they are oblivious.

But almost constant supervision is required because the other kids can turn on him or bully him or even get violent in a heartbeat, stealing a toy he has to torment him or even one time I turned my back to him and some similar in age neighbor's children playing in our back yard to return and find him being kicked while the rest held him down, you can bet that is the last time I let him have free play with them. Once they realize he can't talk they take advantage to be cruel, even blaming him for everything and making him a scapegoat for things they have done.

So here are two cheap to low cost ways I found to let him socialize and be with kids his age while not having to worry so much.

A local botanical garden often has field trips from local schools during the day where the kids are allowed free play, I don't know whether the teachers like it or not but it is a public place so I find a group my son's age and let him join them while I watch and the students have one or more teachers observing too so no nasty behavior happens.

McDonald's or other fast food playgrounds are another great option I have found, it is a small area where I can keep an eye on him and other parents are watching their kids as well and it is less likely they will notice he is non-verbal. I have had to explain to other parents a few times during slow periods when they ask me if he is deaf or what, but it isn't a big deal.

Any other tips?

Cheap stuff

I would limit the kids he plays with one or two kids in a controlled environment. The kids he is playing with now don't sound like they are being supervised all too well if they are bullying a disabled preschooler.
I have loads of cheap intervention ideas.


1. Signing time is good and you can see it on netflix it helped my child with communication.
My child learned some signs but actually started speaking with signing time.

2. "Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Carers" was a good book on the subject. The book is from the UK so some words might be a little knew to you. I only needed to look up one or two products. It had lots of intervention ideas. I gave my copy to
someone who really needed it at the time. I am thinking of buying another copy.

3. Floortime is a good cheap book. There is a typo in the version I had that said dyspraxia was a muscle disorder. It is a great therapy book. Floortime basically is short therapy sessions. You uses a timer and build mini lessons on the child's interest.

4. This costs more money but a good OT can teach you things to do on your own. My child's school covered it.

5 http://www.sensory-processing-disorder. ... ities.html this site has lots of stuff on sensory

6. Meditation is cheap and youtube has one minute meditations.

You local public library may have storytime/activities for pre-schoolers. My daughter got a lot out of her "Time for Toddlers" group at the library when she was little. Such things are usually free but you might have to sign up--check your library's website.

*I agree with checking with your local library or bookstore for story times.
*If you are a church-goer at all then they usually have Sunday School that would provide some structured interaction time for your son's age.
*We used to go to a local park where they had different groups meeting there every week. For example, on Tuesdays, it was a preschool club (we later were able to join it, but before we joined, we had fun playing at the same time), on Wednesdays, it was a homeschool group, and the smaller children played together on the equipment while the moms met, on Thursdays, it was actually a special needs gathering, and all kids were welcome even if they weren't there for specific services.
*We also spent time in the pool for some low-key interaction (our pool was actually free), but running isn't encouraged, of course!
(We used to do the PlayPlace at fast food places, too!)