Coordination

Once your child has mastered coregulation, you are ready to move on to coordination.  There are two types of coordination, complementary and parallel. 

In complementary coordination, each partner has a different, but complementary role.  Each partner's role must be coordinated in order to complete the task.  For example, you might sweep the floor while your child holds the dustpan.  Your child must monitor where you are sweeping and coordinate with you in order to place the dustpan in the right spot. 

In parallel coordination, each partner is completing the same role simultaneously.  For example, when you are walking down the street with a friend, you are engaging in parallel coordination.  If your friend slows down, or stops, you automatically slow down or stop also. 

In my experience, I've found that most children find complementary coordination easier to master, so I will often advise families to start there.  Remember, any type of coordination involves a great deal of monitoring and adjusting, and this will not come naturally to your child at first.  It will take a lot of time, practice, and repetition, so start slowly, with simple roles, and be patient. 

Here are some common frameworks we use to work on coordination:

Complementary Coordination
*Sweeper - dustpan holder
*Sprayer - wiper (washing windows, countertops, etc.)
*Loading/unloading the dishwasher (giver-receiver - hand child a dish, child places dish, etc.)
*Picking up toys, clothes etc. (carry basket or box, child places items in box as you move it)

Parallel Coordination
*Walking together
*Freeze dancing
*Taking out the garbage (pushing the garbage cans together)

These are just a few examples of ways to work on coordination.  It is possible to fit coordination into many of your daily routines.  The key is to slow things down and to make sure your child has plenty of time to follow your lead and process his or her role.