KerPlunk
There was a game a long time ago called KerPlunk. The idea was to pull out the sticks without letting the marbles fall, but eventually all the marbles fall since there aren’t enough sticks to hold them. Our boys had a toy story version which came with a clear plastic rocket, green aliens and a die that indicate which color stick you had to pull out of the rocket.
This is a great example of a relatively easy game for Mikey that still held some appeal for Will. The boys played together which gave Mikey practice taking turns and using his phrases like, “my turn” and “your turn.” It would also be a low-language way to teach colors. You could point to the color on the dice and show them a stick of the same color. Then, let (or help) them point to the color on the die (maybe name it for them) and let them practice finding a stick of that color.
As always, great skills brought to you by low-tech board games.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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