74 Yoga for Speech-Language Development
and moves his hands together, the dome grows smaller
(Rawlinson 2013). This visual-motor activity can facilitate
an increase in the duration and volume of the breath. Using
the sphere could be beneficial for children with AD/HD
as it provides a concrete object to manipulate and may
help them sustain attention. For children with intellectual
disabilities and ASD, the sphere could provide a concrete,
external representation of the process of respiration.- Counting breath. The adult and/or child counts the duration
of the inhalations and exhalations. This count should
increase over time reflecting strengthened respiratory
control (Simpkins and Simpkins 2011). - Color breath. The adult or child assigns different colors for
inhalations and exhalations (e.g. yellow for inhalation and
blue for exhalation) so that the child can visualize
and maintain attention to the breath (Simpkins and
Simpkins 2011).
Figure 5.2 Belly breath
The subsequent breathing activities involve an aspect of symbolic
play, which will be addressed in Chapter 8. In these activities,
the child represents animals or objects by using their breath in
conjunction with other parts of the body. Due to their difficulty
with pretend play, these breathing activities can be particularly
beneficial for children with ASD. For children from this
population, using a picture symbol for the animals and objects