Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

A strengths-based approach to play in children with autism

Rachel L. Smith, MS, Marieke Van Puymbroeck, PhD, CTRS

Abstract


Children with autism often experience difficulties with play. The focus of previous research has described how the play of children with autism is deviant from the play of typically developing peers. There has been little attention paid to understanding why children with autism play the way they do, and the innate strengths that exist within the play experience of children with autism. The purpose of this theoretical piece is to provide a framework for exploring the play of children with autism from a strengths-based recovery model perspective. Implications for recreational therapists and other professionals are discussed, and considerations for future research directions are suggested.

Keywords


play, autism, autism spectrum disorders, positive psychology, leisure behavior, strength-based approach, recreational therapy

Full Text:

PDF

References


Volkmar FR, Wiesner LA: A Practical Guide to Autism. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2009.

American Psychological Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2009; 58: 1-20.

Autism Society of America: What is autism: Facts and stats; 2009. Available at http://www.autismsociety.org/site/PageServerpagename=about_whatis_factsstats. Accessed August 13, 2010.

American Society of Pediatrics: Autism spectrum disorders affect about 1 percent of U.S. children; 2009. Available at http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/oct0509studies.htm. Accessed August 13, 2010.

Cavagnaro AT: Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Changes in the California Caseload, An Update: June 1987 to June 2007. Sacramento, CA: California Health and Human Services Agency, 2007.

Manning MM, Wainwright LD: The role of high level play as a predictor social functioning in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010; 40: 523-533.

Ginsburg KR: The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parentchild bonds. Pediatrics. 2007; 119: 182-191.

Bekoff M: The development of social interaction, play, and metacommunication in mammals: An ethological perspective. Q Rev Biol. 1972; 47(4): 412-434.

Bekoff M: Social play behavior. Bioscience. 1984; 34(4): 228-233.

Bergen D, Fromberg DP: Play and social interaction in middle childhood. Phi Delta Kappan. 2009; 90(6): 426-430.

Christie JF, Johnsen EP: The role of play in social-intellectual development. Rev Educ Res. 1983; 53(1): 93-115.

Uren N, Stagnitti K: Pretend play, social competence and involvement in children aged 5–7 years: The concurrent validity of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment. Aust Occup Ther J. 2009; 56(1): 33-40.

Yaoying X: Children’s social play sequence: Parten’s classic theory revisited. Early Child Dev Care. 2010; 180(4): 489-498.

Bjorklund DJ, Brown RD: Physical play and cognitive development: Integrating activity, cognition, and education. Child Dev. 1998; 69(3): 604-606.

Nicolopoulou A: Play, cognitive development, and the social world: Piaget, Vygotsky, and Beyond. In Lloyd P, Fernyhough C (eds.): Lev Vygotsky: Critical Assessments. Vol 2: Thoughts and Language. London: Routledge, 1999.

Bergen D: The role of pretend play in child’s cognitive development. Early Child Res Pract. 2002; 4(1): 1-13.

Cohen D: The Development of Play. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2006.

Brown S, Vaughan C: Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. New York, NY: Avery, 2009.

Elkind D: The Power of Play. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2007.

Liber DB, Frea WD, Symon JBG: Using time-delay to improve social play skills with peers for children with autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008; 38(2): 312-323.

Rutherford MD, Young GS, Hepburn S, et al.: A longitudinal study of pretend play in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2007; 37: 1024-1039.

McConachie H: Joint attention and symbolic play in young children with autism: A randomized controlled intervention study. Child Care Health Dev. 2006; 32(6): 752.

Mastrangelo S: Play and the child with autism spectrum disorders: From possibilities to practice. Int J Play Ther. 2009; 18: 13-30.

Baron-Cohen S: Autism and symbolic play. Br J Dev Psychol. 1987; 5: 139-148.

Hobson RP, Lee A, Hobson JA: Qualities of symbolic play among children with autism: A social-developmental perspective. J Autism Dev Disord. 2009; 39: 12-22.

Jarrold C: A review of research into pretend play in autism. Autism Int J Res Pract. 2003; 7(4): 379-390.

Kasari C, Freeman S, Paparella T: Joint attention and symbolic play in young children with autism: A randomized controlled intervention study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006; 47(6): 611-620.

Libby S, Powell S, Messer D, et al.: Spontaneous play in children with autism: A reappraisal. J Autism Dev Disord. 1998; 28(6): 487-497.

Stanley GC, Konstantareas MM: Symbolic play in children with autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. 2007; 36: 1215-1223.

Honey E, Leekam S, Turner M, et al.: Repetitive behaviour and play in typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. 2007; 37(6): 1107-1115.

Parr MG, Lashua BD: What is leisure? The perceptions of recreation practitioners and others. Leis Sci. 2004; 26: 1- 17.

Cosden M, Koegel LK, Koegel RL, et al.: Strength-based assessment for children with autism spectrum disorders. Res Pract Persons Severe Disabl. 2006; 31(2): 134-143.

Duckworth AL, Steen TA, Seligman MEP: Positive psychology in clinical practice. Annu Rev C Psychol. 2005; 1: 629-651.

Piaget J: Play Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1952.

Seligman MEP, Csikszentmihalyi M: Positive psychology: An introduction. Am Psychol. 2000; 55(1): 5-14.

Rutherford MD, Rogers SJ: Cognitive underpinnings of pretend play in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2003; 33(3): 289-302.

Blanc R, Adrien JL, Roux S, et al.: Dysregulation of pretend play and communication development in children with autism. Autism Int J Res Pract. 2005; 9(3): 229-245.

Mastrangelo S: Harnessing the power of play: Opportunities for children with autism spectrum disorders. Teach Ex Child. 2009; 42(1): 34-44.

Boutot EA, Guenther T, Crozier S: Let’s play: Teaching play skills to young children with autism. Educ Train Dev Disabl. 2005; 40: 285-292.

Ingersoll B, Schreibman L: Teaching reciprocal imitation skills to young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral approach: Effects on language, pretend play, and joint attention. J Autism Dev Disord. 2006; 36(4): 487-505.

Koegel RL, Vernon TW, Koegel LK: Improving social initiations in young children with autism using reinforcers with embedded social interactions. J Autism Dev Disord. 2009; 39(9): 1240-1251.

Licciardello CC, Harchik AE, Luiselli JK: Social skills intervention for children with autism during interactive play at a public elementary school. Educ Treat Child. 2008; 31(1): 27-37.

Naber FBA, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH, et al.: Play behavior and attachment in toddlers with autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008; 38: 857-866.

Henricks TS: Play Reconsidered: Sociological Perspectives on Human Expression. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2006.

Ross L, Nisbett R: The Person and the Situation: Perspectives of Social Psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1991.

Mannell RC, Kleiber D: A social psychology of leisure. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, 1997.

Freysinger VJ, Kelly JR: 21st Century Leisure. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, 2004.

Kelly JR, Godbey G: The Sociology of Leisure. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, 1992.

Csikszentmihalyi M: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1990.

Neulinger J: Psychology of Leisure: Research Approaches to the Study of Leisure. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1974.

Jackson EL: Leisure constraints: A survey of past research. Leis Sci. 1988; 10: 203-215.

Jackson EL, Crawford DW, Godbey G: Negotiation of leisure constraints. Leis Sci. 1992; 15: 1-12.

Huizinga J: Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture. Boston: Beacon, 1955.

Seligman MEP: Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. In Snyder CR, Lopez SJ (eds.): The Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford, London: Oxford University Press; 2002.

Taylor SE, Kemeny ME, Reed GM, et al.: Psychological resources, positive illusions, and health. Am Psychol. 2000; 55: 99-109.

Seligman MEP, Schulman P, Derubeis R, et al.: The prevention of depression and anxiety. Prev Treat. 1999; 2: 8.

Gable SL, Haidt J: What (and why) is positive psychology. Rev Gen Psychol. 2005; 9(2): 103-109.

Rossman JR, Schlatter BE: Recreation Programming: Designing Leisure Experience. 5th ed. Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing, L.L.C., 2008.

Gillham JE, Seligman MEP: Footsteps in the raid to a positive psychology. Behav Res Ther. 1999; 37: S163.

Sutton-Smith B: The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.

Senator S: Making Peace with Autism>. Boston, MA: Trumpeter Books, 2005.

American Therapeutic Recreation Association: About ATRA; 2010. Available at http://www.atra-online.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=3. Accessed January 5, 2010.

Carruthers C, Hood CD: Building a life of meaning through therapeutic recreation: The leisure and well-being model, I. Ther Recreation J. 2007; 41: 276-297.

Hood CD, Carruthers C: Enhancing leisure experience and developing resources: The leisure and well-being model, II. Ther Recreation J. 2007; 41: 298-325.

Fredrickson BL, Mancusi RA, Branigan C, et al.: The undoing effect of positive emotions. Motiv Emot. 2000; 24: 237-258.

Fredrickson BL: The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. Am Psychol. 2001; 56: 218.

Fredrickson BL, Branigan C: Positive emotions broaden the scope of attention and thought action repertoires. Cogn Emot. 2005; 19: 313-332.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.2011.0003

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.