Strategies for enhancing play skills for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Auteur(s)

  • Jennifer Brown
  • Donna Murray

Référence

Brown, J., & Murray, D. (2001). Strategies for enhancing play skills for children with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 312-317.

Domaines de recherche appliquée

Thématiques

Incapacités

Zones géographiques

Résumé de l'auteur

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not develop play in the same way that childr typical development do (Libby, Powell, Messer, & Jordan, 1997; Murray-Slutsky & Paris, 2000; W 1999). This article describes play differences in children with ASD. It also suggests strategies for develop intervention plan including assessment, goal setting, and teaching play skills.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

This review article gives a very useful overview of the differences in play related behaviours in autistic children and how professionals can help children develop crucial play behaviours. Developing play behaviors is considered a milestone in early childhood. Several essential cognitive skills are developed in conjunction with play. Symbolic play, for instance, emerges around the same time as language, and both are thought to be supported by the ability to form mental representations. Pretend play is a product of the cognitive ability to understand that objects can be used for creative purposes. Pretend play also teaches children about perspective taking, specifically that people can suspend their disbelief to engage in a fantasy. More generally, children develop social skills in the context of play, and engage in reciprocal, peer-directed activity that helps form relationships.
For these reasons, it is critical that autistic children develop play related skills as these skills develop in tandem with others, and aid in the development and maintaining of friendships. However, there are specific areas of need with regards to the development of play skills in autistic children. Among the main areas of difference mentioned in this paper are those relating to reduced motivation to engage in play, difficulties transitioning from one play activity to the next, problems with the symbolic aspects of play, and struggles concerning restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Reduced affect may also make it difficult for a child to express enjoyment during play.
The authors suggest several strategies to improve play skills in autistic children. They suggest that first professionals must observe the play of the child, specifically noting how the child handles play materials, whether they symbolically use play items and whether they share a common focus when playing with other children. Videorecording play sessions may be particularly useful. After this observation, the professional should individualize the intervention and introduce goals specific to improving play skills. For instance, it may be that the child needs to be more socialized during play. If so, it could be that the intervention uses a toy or activity that will attract peers to play with the child, and in a way that encourages reciprocal interactions (for instance a puppet or a board game). This paper is a handy tool for early educators and professionals who wish to develop an individualized intervention to improve play in autistic children.

Téléchargement(s)