Episode 7: When Playtime Needs Debugging

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About the Guest

Dr. Jessica Amsbary is the Program Coordinator of the Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support (ECIFS) Master’s Degree in Education for Experienced Teachers program at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is also a Technical Assistance Specialist at the FPG Child Development Institute, where she engages in research and development related to STEM innovations for young children with disabilities and supporting provider and family use of evidence-based practices for toddlers with autism. Dr. Amsbary’s primary research is focused on family support initiatives related to very young children with autism and other developmental delays and applying principles of implementation science to ensure early interventions are meeting the needs of families and their children.

Key Takeaways

• Debugging means noticing when something doesn’t work the way we expect, figuring out what went wrong, and trying a new solution until it works.
• Simple “sabotages” during daily routines (for example, putting a block in the wrong place or skipping a step in handwashing) help children practice spotting mistakes and fixing them.
• Talking through the three steps—notice the error, fix the error, and test the solution—helps children connect their actions to outcomes and builds early critical thinking.
• Debugging can be adapted for all children by using visuals, sign language, assistive tools, and familiar routines so everyone can participate in playful problem-solving.