Benefits of Play in Children With Autism - Literature review Example

Play in Autistic Children Running Head: AUTISTIC CHILDREN Throughout history, various scientists, experts in child development, and psychologists have argued about the need for play in children in order to reach their full maximum potential. “Play allows children to learn and practice new skills in safe and supportive environments (Boucher, 1999, p.1).”But experts opinions vary considerably in this area as we shall later see. However, all the expert research helps us to analyze the functions of play in children with autism and the benefits it provides to them developmentally. It challenges our notion that autistic children do not benefit from play in general because they seem to be living in their own “shells” most of the time as has been observed. Play as we explore by the researchers studies show us that in children with autism, it serves as a social tool, thereby making communication more effective. The researchers also argue that play also promotes motivation in the autistic child. In the beginning, play is going to be examined through children in general and the effects of play in children and how that relates to the autistic child. Every child engages in some sort of play whether there be some sort of crisis situation or not, the child still continues to play in his or her own created world. We are also going to look at the different kinds of play involved and how children engage in each play situation. Play actually teaches children about the environment that they live in . “Sensory motor play teaches young infants about their own bodies and about objects in the immediate environment. Physical play including rough and tumble teaches toddlers and preschoolers gross motor skills and provides the experience of whole body interaction with both others and objects in their environment. Social play teaches children about social relationships and how to engage in them, as well as the cultural norms of the society in which the child is growing up (Boucher, 1999, p.1).” Having all these vital benefits to play, it is worth examining play in the context of how this very important feature affects children with autism and how they look at play and what benefits it provides for them. Let us look at various hypotheses put forward through experts in the field of autism in children. In one such research put forward by Sherratt in 1999 , she profoundly expresses the notion that in symbolic pretend play offers the autistic child a rich and meaningful environment for the manipulation of symbolic representations. In doing so, he has hypothesized that this may in turn bring about changes in learning patterns and changes to the brain. “Symbolic play allows children to develop flexibility of thought. It also prevents secondary disabilities by enabling participation in social and cultural events (Sherratt, 1999, p.23).” The researcher actually enhances the notion that play is beneficial to the autistic child and may in essence increase brain activity. Furthermore, learning is also obtained and proves necessary for not just autistic children but children in general. He notes from his research that “disturbances in play in autism may lead directly to disturbance in all aspects of development (Sherratt, 1999,p.23).” So in essence if their play pattern is disrupted then it leads to functioning disorder. It affects them in other areas of their behavior. Play also according to Sherratt (1999) reduces repetitive and rigid behavioural patterns and encourages communication development. The autistic child now is able to communicate more efficiently through the medium of play. While play alters the way the brain processes information, it is conducive to understanding the change in the autistic child. The autistic child through the use of play engages in more fruitful and conducive behavior. An essential component discovered by the researcher Stahmer in 1999 in the same context is how play measures response in the autistic child. A technique employed by Stahmer is the PRT which is the pivotal response training which is used as a means of increasing play in children with autism. This particular training also increases motivation. Here the participants were given techniques that included clear instructions and questions, interspersion of maintenance tasks, childs choice of toys, direct reinforcement, reinforcement of goal-directed attempts and turn taking. It was visualized that there were difficulties with a constant lack of participation during play with peers and very low levels of initiations to peers or adults (Stahmer, 1999). At the end of the research, there was discussion about whether play enhanced children with autism or not. They do agree that play is crucial to the development of the children. “Play can and should be a valuable part of the school curriculum for pupils with autism, facilitating all aspects of development (Stahmer,1999, p.29).” But in doing so, it raises concern about whether or not these attempts have indeed facilitated play in children with autism with lasting effects on their behavior (1999). It must be borne in mind that these children develop differently than normal children and as they go through different stages of development, they are on a different stage development than children without autism in the same age group. They differ in their style of play as opposed to their peers who are not autistic. Another study conducted by Warner in 2003 uses structured interactive play to engage autistic children and help them learn language and social skills. An autism treatment program called the PLAY project (Play and language for Autistic Youngsters) can draw autistic children out of their shells and enable them to live a more normal life. The results of a one-year study of the new autism treatment was presented to the Annual Pediatric Societies in Seattle: Researchers tested the Play project with 41 autistic children –average age 3 ½-- and their families. Through monthly home visits, consultants trained the parents how to use play and language-based interactions with their children.(Warner, 2003) Warner believed the childrens brains are most malleable between the ages of 18 months and 6 years which makes early detection and treatment of autism crucial (2003). At the end of the study, Warner (2003) found the play based autism treatment allowed half of the children (46%) to make good to excellent progress in reducing autism severity and another third (32%) made fair progress. The more time a parent spent with the child, the better the results. Overall, the parents were pleased with the PLAY project. The children who participated in this study showed overall improvement in their behaviors indicating that play actually enhanced positive behavior development in autistic children. Warner concludes that her research is based on the principle that emerging research shows that young brains can absorb new knowledge and develop new skills even if their initial development was stunted by autism (2003). And this treatment is also inexpensive making it possible for a lot of the autistic children to receive help. The cost of this particular treatment is only $2,500 per child per year (Warner, 2003). In this particular treatment, early detection is crucial to the identification of the autistic child and so eliminate the later problems associated with this disorder in children. It is therefore extremely important to note in the study that the researcher Warner believes in the ability of the autistic young child to absorb new information even if that child has been targeted through autism that the child can make serious headway in the development of the individual through play. Another benefit associated with play in autistic children is that play enhances thinking skills in autistic children. Dave Sherratt is a teacher in the United kingdom and has specialized in teaching children with autism to play and he has also presented papers on play and affective cognition. In his play structure the kids develop thinking skills through play through a technique referred to as interactive mirroring. “Interactive mirroring uses non-verbally negotiated imitation and play to create a sense of shared attention and a sense of having an effect on ones shared environment (agency). This is a method of encouraging a shared understanding of play with others and is especially useful in children who find difficulty in “whistling to anyone elses tune”. Many children with autism find sharing a mental workspace with others difficult and need the confidence that is provided by this strategy in order to reach out to others. Interactive mirroring attempts to build up conversations of actions in which the teacher or the child respond to each others movements. These strategies employed through interactive mirroring help the autistic child learn more about its environment through play. Using a play approach, some children with autism may make rapid and substantial progress in an area of functioning that at first seemed impossibly difficult (Sherratt and Peter, 2002, p.1).” It is important for a child to use his thinking skills in order to make better informed decisions in anything. But why thinking skills for autistic children is different because autistic children in general have a hard time with these basic skills. Sherratt and Peter (2002) realize that the autistic child had difficulties in the areas of social understanding, in communication and in their rigid thought processes. And what that in turn produces is repetitive and narrow behaviors, impairments in play and creativity and adaptability (Sherratt and Peter, 2002). When these behaviors are introduced in the autistic child, it makes it harder for them to relate in their communication patterns and their behavior tends to be more obscured leaving little room for understanding by non autistic people and otherwise. So by using play to enhance thinking skills in children with autism, it enables the child to identify more with the world he or she lives in. “These techniques should be used to assist the child with autism to develop their thinking skills and a more coherent understanding of their world (Sherratt and Peter, 2002, p.1).” A lot of the research done is shown in this instance to be beneficial to the autistic child and play is definitely seen as a means in developing the whole autistic child in order to enhance their development and understand their surroundings and features of the world they live in which would otherwise be closed to them So far, the researchers have shown us that play actually opens more doors for children with autism. Further research indicates play is beneficial in terms of play with peers. “Research shows that children learn and develop in a multitude of ways through shared experiences in play. Plays significance is far reaching as a social and cultural context through which children acquire symbolic capacities, interpersonal skills and social knowledge;moreover, peers perform a distinct role in fostering childrens socialization and development that cannot be duplicated by adults. While playing with peers, children acquire many interrelated skills that are necessary for attaining social competence and forming meaningful relationships. So considering plays social, cultural and developmental significance, enhancing opportunities for children with autism to become competent in play with peers is of prime importance (Vgotsky, 1996, p.6).” Vgotsky (1996)believes that play in children with autism encourages socialization on a one-to-one basis. It also serves as a learning tool in a small group setting. Thirdly, it increases peer awareness and increased non-explicit learning. Finally, it reinforces the positive aspect of positive peer interactio. Children who are not autistic need interpersonal skills in order to survive in society. The same is true of the autistic child who has to survive and understand his or her environment. And play again provides those tools that are essential to the functioning of the individual; in this context play as seen with peers. And what about autistic children playing with children who are not autistic –the authors Lantz, Nelson, and Loftin (2004) believe the study shows that other groups are also likely to benefit from the play activity. They in turn have improved social language and better quality of play with better tolerance of children with disabilities. This gives the opportunity for children with autism to interact with other kids in a normal school setting. With proper instruction and training, and including early detection of autism can increase the potential of actually eliminating many of the anti-social behaviors associated with autistic children. Another more appealing aspect of play in children with autism is explained by Baldi and Detmers (2000) that “embracing play teaches parents how to keep a child with autism engaged through what comes naturally to most children—play. Playing is the doorway for a parent and young child with autism to connect and communicate. And this can be enhanced and possible through therapy because for a child with autism, interactions with people and objects such as toys can be very difficult or atypical. The technique employed is called “object focused play” which teaches parents how to use toys to capture a childs attention and initiate learning. And because of embracing play with autistic children it opens up new avenues of interaction and learning for children with autism. The benefits of these play skills pave the way for communication and social development.” One of the underlying problems with autism in children is their lack of social skills and communication. And play brings that about in the autistic child. But given autism which is a disability, there needs to be some form of reformed play in the autistic child-play that is much more structured and developed to suit the development of the autistic child. The author Wolfberg (1999) in the case of Jamie-a.k.a. Little Salvador Dali-describes her experiences where she first met Jamie when he entered her program for children with autism in a public elementary school. “When I visit programs where children with diverse abilities are given free reign to play and socialize with one another, it is apparent to me who is thriving and who is at risk in their development. Children like Jamie are among the greatest risk for autistic spectrum disorders. Play development in autism is intricately tied to characteristic impairments in social interaction, communication and imagination, and the presence of restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities. Children with autism present distinct patterns of play that may be understood along symbolic and social dimensions.”When given the opportunity to play freely, it is more easily identifiable as to which of the autistic child need more intervention and which does not. It helps set the child apart from the rest of the autistic group and give the child the help he or she needs to function effectively in the present circumstances. Another aspect of play according to Wolfberg (1999) is that play is a fundamental right of all children. “There is no question that when children are kept apart from their peer group and respective play cultures they are being deprived of their basic human right. So bearing this in mind, the integrated play group is developed to give this basic right to the autistic child. In her model, she implements Jamie who accepts the integrated play group and can fit in with other peer members.” And why should we deny the fundamental right that belongs to every child? The right to play and engage with peers and other cultures. It may involve a different structure and setting for the child with autism, but that is the right that he or she is entitled to. In the article Baker (2000) about investigating an intervention increasing sibling social play interactions by incorporating the thematic ritualistic activities of children with autism into typical games. “The subjects were 3 children with autism ages 5 to 6 ½ years old and their siblings. Data collected revealed that when children with autism were taught a play interaction based on their thematic ritualistic behavior (e.g., for a child who is interested in movies, the percentage of social interactions and joint attention increased and maintained. All of the childrens thematic affect improved, and the rate of thematic ritualistic behaviors decreased to a minimum or no occurrence. The childrens social interactions also generalized to other games and settings. These results imply that children with autism can learn social skills and natural interactions in their environment (Baker,2000, p.66).” Her studies show the importance of play with children with autism as it shows that they can be taught to learn new social skills and benefit further from their environment. It also helped the autistic child with the ability to focus on the task in front of him. And from Bakers study, the participants definitely showed a unified attention increase. And why has that option not been available to the autistic child which is every human beings basic right- right to play for children. Her studies also serve as a voice to the autistic child that they are capable of learning new skills that make them socially viable in society and give them a fair chance at bettering themselves. Bakers study also reveals another important fact that the autistic child is indeed capable of learning and adapting to its environment provided the right setting is employed and the tools needed for play in a comfortable setting are provided. In conclusion, we must take into account the various noted researchers in the field of autism and their results from their studies. Most conclusively, all agree that play actually benefits the child with autism and provides for further benefits through the medium of play. In exploring play, we have seen that play is essential to the devolopment of children in general and that it applies to the autistic child as well. Play makes new skills permissible and teaches children their much needed social skills to go out into the world. Sherratt (1999) tells us that play actually enhances changes in the brain activity through symbolic representations and essentially making communication in autistic children more feasible. Stahmer (1999) on the other hand, describes play as motivational for the autistic child. He also introduces the PRT which is the pivotal response training and informs us that play is absolutely vital to the development of the autistic child. Warner (2003) on the other hand, warns us that early detection is crucial to identifying the problem with autism in children. In her study, we conclude that the children with autism can indeed learn language and social skills through play. Sherrat and Peter identify a crucial factor to the play concept in children with autism is that play enhances critical thinking skills in children with autism(2002). In our conclusion, we also need to address the issues brought about by Vygotsky, an important figure in the field of autism that play does indeed promote the interpersonal skills necessary in social settings. The authors Lantz, Nelson, and Loftin also engage in promoting play in children with autism. They believe through early detection of autism and play therapy, a lot of the anti-social behavior associated with autistic children can be lessened or eliminated altogether. Another video described by Baldi and Detmers (2000) describes in detail how the autistic child actually lacks the social skills needed for communication and through play how that essential skill can be obtained and made possible. Looking back at the argument made by Wolfberg (1999) that play is the fundamental right of every child and that includes the autistic child. And finally, Baker, on the other hand, also serves as a stepping stone to further promote the use of play in the children with autism(2000). Her study is conclusive that the autistic child is capable of learning new skills and functioning in the present society. I would like to conclude based on the evidence suggested through researchers and other mediums which discuss autism in children that play does indeed benefit the child with autism and actually promotes many essential skills needed to function in society and the environment. Given the overwhelming evidence pointed out through various studies and researcher, play should be employed to teach autistic children. It should also serve to do further research in this field about how autism is perceived when the child in question could possibly recover from this disability. In the field of autism as in other fields, when we are dealing with children, there is always the possibility of change and to take into account different personalities. While it is possible that play is beneficial in general to the autistic child, there can be cases based on the individual itself that might not be responding to the play involved. There are exceptions in every scenario and the field of autism is no different. While I have chosen to explore school settings in autistic children, there are many other settings where play can be visibly beneficial also to the autistic child. Many a times, in the childs home under the loving gaze of the parent. There is no doubt that children respond well to their caregivers and people whom they are comfortable with. Even though the autistic child may seem withdrawn for the most part, the loving parent may be able to pull that child out of its dilemma. And there are many helpful research guides and doctors out there, who can further assist the parent in dealing with the autistic child and employing play as a medium to furthering the child with autism. Recent research does indicate overwhelmingly in favor of play with the autistic child. And the authors and researchers here do us justice in the field of autism in examining the various benefits produced by play in the child with autism. However because there is no cure for autism and a lot of the children have been diagnosed with this disability, it goes to further my research that play is indeed another useful method in curbing the behavioral patterns in the autistic child. For play definitely brings the autistic child out of its shell and into the environment to develop the much needed social skills for interaction with peer, adults, and also communication in society. References Cited Baker, J. (2000). Incorporating the thematic ritualistic behaviors of children with autism into games: Increasing social play interaction with siblings.Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, v2,66-84. Retrieved May 8,2006 from http://www.education.ucsb.edu/autism/publications.html. Baldi, H. & Detmers, D.(2000). Embracing Play [From the video Teaching your child with Autism].Behavioral Intervention Association. Boucher, J.(1999). Editorial: interventions with children with autism methods based on play. Child language Teaching and Therapy,1999,15 (1),pp.1. Lantz,J, Nelson, J.,& Loftin, R(2004)Guiding Children with Autism in Play: The Integrated play Group Model in School Settings. Journal of Social Psychology of Exceptional Children. Retrieved May 8, 2006 from Social Skills database. Sherratt , D.(1999) Importance of Play: Good Autism Practice. September,p.23. Sherratt, D. and Peter, M. (2002) Developing Play and Drama in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, pp.1. Stahmer, A.C. (1999). Using pivotal response training to facilitate appropriate play in children with autistic spectrum disorders, Child Language Teaching and Therapy,15 (1),pp.29-40. Vygotsky, L.(1996). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Journal of Soviet Psychology, 12, 6-18. Warner, J. (2003). Play-Based Autism Treatment Engages Kids . Interactive Play Helps Autistic Children Learn Valuable Tools. Retrieved May 8, 2006, from WebMD Medical news database. Wolfberg, P. (1999). Play and imagination in children with autism. Creating Opportunities in the lives of children with autism. New York Teachers college press, Columbia University. Read More