As the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, the same goes for the child with special needs. You can encourage your child to go and play outside in a number of ways. If you are of the notion that your special child will not be able to interact with other children, then to your utter surprise, through playing and sharing they will be all the more delighted and will improve a lot more than you can actually imagine. Playing will definitely help your child in improving in the other fields as well. Ways in which You can Do this: It is always easier said than done. You have to remember always that your child is not like others and forcing him or her can produce adverse results. So you must coax your child in a way that he or she feels eager to go out to play. But there are certain tactics which should be followed in order to do it. And these are the tactics that are going to be discussed here in detail. Tips to be followed:

• First and fore mostly, cajole and coax your children- This is important in understanding that why they should go out and play and also why interacting with others is so important. Once and twice, they will refuse, but, after duration of time, you will see that he or she is giving in to your suggestions.
• Ask his friends to call him out for playing- Tell his friends to call him out every time they go out to play. Also, ask them to put him as a part of the play however insignificant that may be. This will give him a certain sense of belonging and he will realise how dear he is to the group. The more it happens the more you will see your child open up.
• Do not guard him like he cannot take care of himself- Make him feel completely normal and gradually you will see that he is becoming more and more independent. Helping him in every nook and crook does not help at all.
• Make him realize the actual importance of sharing- The basic problem with these children with special needs is that due to their insecurity feeling, they do not want to share anything and prefer to remain tight-lipped and they do not open up easily. But then, if you can show him the importance of doing so, then you will be able to see a change when he or she will start sharing bits and pieces and will acquire a lot of friends. A recent survey of some of the children shows that children having Down’s syndrome who are mentally retarded are gaining a lot of friends when they are showing an affable nature and are sharing.
• Do not force him or her- Remember, that a child with special needs will not always have the same emotions that you do and they suffer from far more mood swings. So if you cannot coax them, at least do not scare them out by shouting at them.