What is Functional Playground method ?
Functional Playground™ is the approach developed by Sonia Pastrovicchio to support children with special needs through movement, play, and bodily exploration.
It is a method focused on the child’s functional development, helping them build motor, postural, and relational abilities in a natural and progressive way.
Objectives of the method
Functional Playground™ aims to:
- Improve coordination, flexibility, body awareness, and communication
- Encourage the creation of new neural connections through neuroplasticity
- Support the acquisition of basic motor skills (rolling, sitting, standing, walking…)
- Allow each child to progress at their own pace, without constraint or force
How it works
The method is based on:
- Gentle, conscious, and adapted movements, offered as play rather than conventional rehabilitation
- Careful observation of the child to identify their current abilities and developmental pathways
- An individualized approach, constantly adjusted to the child’s bodily responses
- Clear guidance for parents, enabling them to extend the work into daily life
Observed benefits
According to the presentation of the method:
- Better regulation of muscle tone
- Improved head control and posture
- Progress in fundamental motor skills
- Development of self-regulation
- Advances in communication, including vocal or verbal expression
- Better understanding by parents of their child’s developmental stages
In summary
Functional Playground™ is a holistic approach that uses movement and play as drivers of child development.
It aims to strengthen functional abilities, bodily freedom, and the child’s relationship with the world, while actively involving parents in the process.