Learning to Play: An Analysis of Existing Research into Play Interventions for Children with ASD
Additional Funding Sources
The research described was supported by Boise State University.
Abstract
Pretend play is considered a vital part of child development (NAEYC, 2020) and its absence in early childhood is often one of the early signs of autism. It has been well established that children with ASD are less likely to engage in pretend play, meaning they miss out on the vital learning and development experienced by typically developing children who engage in pretend play. The purpose of this research was to identify what interventions are available to promote pretend play in children with ASD and evaluate their effectiveness. Studies from an existing meta analysis were reviewed and included if they involved social emotional interventions for children ages 3-21 with autism spectrum disorder. From there, identified studies were coded inclusion of play as an outcome, what play skills were identified, how it was assessed, and effectiveness . This review revealed a significant deficit in research into this area. While play was included as an outcome for the majority of studies, little to no information was provided into defining it or whether the intervention actually increased its quality or quantity.
Learning to Play: An Analysis of Existing Research into Play Interventions for Children with ASD
Pretend play is considered a vital part of child development (NAEYC, 2020) and its absence in early childhood is often one of the early signs of autism. It has been well established that children with ASD are less likely to engage in pretend play, meaning they miss out on the vital learning and development experienced by typically developing children who engage in pretend play. The purpose of this research was to identify what interventions are available to promote pretend play in children with ASD and evaluate their effectiveness. Studies from an existing meta analysis were reviewed and included if they involved social emotional interventions for children ages 3-21 with autism spectrum disorder. From there, identified studies were coded inclusion of play as an outcome, what play skills were identified, how it was assessed, and effectiveness . This review revealed a significant deficit in research into this area. While play was included as an outcome for the majority of studies, little to no information was provided into defining it or whether the intervention actually increased its quality or quantity.