News and Knowledge

Playing is not just fun for kids; it’s an important part of early development. As children mature, they progress from playing alone, to playing beside others, to actually interacting and playing with peers. Many children with autism, however, do not make the same progression or make it more slowly. They may line up toys or perform repetitive actions rather than play with toys in the ways typically developing children do. Many children with autism prefer to play alone and do not progress to actual interactive play.

Research has shown that children with autism can learn to participate in reciprocal play through the use of interventions. These interventions that teach children how to play usually take place in therapy settings under the guidance of professionals.

In “Parents as Play Date Facilitators for Preschoolers With Autism,” Stephanie Jull, MA, BCBA, and Pat Mirenda, PhD, BCBA, examined the usefulness of parents directing play dates to increase reciprocal play skills. Parents administering interventions in the home with their child’s peer has more social validity than skills taught in a therapy setting.

Researchers trained two mothers to use previously studied strategies to facilitate successful play dates in their young children with autism. Play interactions were taped so that the parents could be rated on use of facilitating strategies while the children were rated on amount of time they participated in reciprocal interaction with peers. Reciprocal interaction consisted of eye contact, language exchange, and children playing with an object or toy together.

These strategies were taught to the parents:

• Materials are prepared in advance and can be used independently by the children.
• Each part of the activity involves both children.
• Each child’s role is explained before the activity begins.
• One of each item is available so the children have to share.
• Parent stands or sits behind the children.
• Parent prompts the peer to prompt the child with autism.
• Parent helps the peer follow directions and prompts while giving appropriate praise.
• There is only one of each type of activity per play date.
• Parent avoids or removes distractions.
• Parent selects an activity that is very enjoyable to both children.

Prior to use of the play date strategies by the parents, the children with autism exhibited low levels of reciprocal play. While using the play date strategies, amount of reciprocal play increased. Unfortunately, when parents stopped using the strategy, children returned to low levels of interactive play. While the idea of parents facilitating play dates in the home is socially valid, it did not have a lasting effect on children. The strategies are still useful for implementing play dates that practice reciprocal play.

Resources

Jull, Stephanie and Mirenda, Pat. (2011). Parents as play date facilitators for preschoolers with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 13(1), 17-30.