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Play and Autism: from Diagnosis to Therapy

Autism is often accompanied by significant impairment in social cognition— individuals with autism have trouble in learning, processing, and applying appropriate behavior in social settings. Because play is usually one of the most social activities in which children can engage, play for children with autism develops in a very different manner than those without the disorder. Children with autism may not wish to play with others, especially if they are fixated or preoccupied with certain objects.  Even if they do want to play, they may have difficulty expressing the desire to do so. If a child with autism does manage to express a desire to play with other children, he often find that his manner of play is too different from other children and his efforts to play are thwarted. 

Assessing a child at play provides one of the most insightful perspectives into a child's development. Simply observing the child’s play behaviors can provide the therapist with volumes of information regarding the child’s use and mastery of language, thought processes, and ability to interact with others. Changes in a child’s play behaviors tend to progress with development, thus play behavior can serve as a benchmark for development in general. 

Play is very important because it mimics real-life scenarios and it is an ideal way to stimulate cognition, social behavior, and communication. Through guided play, children with autism can gradually broaden their interests and learn to communicate with others in socially healthy and appropriate ways. Play therapy is not only a means of diagnosis and treatment, but can also advance other developmental domains and improve socialization.

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