Abstract
In recent years, the socio-material perspective has informed an important interdisciplinary debate concerning the role of the physical world (i.e., the objects) in human psychological development. Several studies in the field of developmental psychology showed positive achievements in explaining the relationship between the subject and the social context through a socio-material approach, in particular in the early development. The importance of objects was also recognized in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), showing that these children are characterized by alterations in the use of the objects from early development. Some studies highlighted that objects could be a facilitator in the interactions between children with ASD and peers. However, the role of objects was not sufficiently investigated in interactions between children with ASD and adults. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate in children with ASD the communicative function that the activities with objects assume in the interactions with adults, highlighting the mediator role of objects in these interactions. More generally, this study also aims to highlight the relevance of adopting a socio-material perspective to explore some neglected aspects of the psychological activity of children with ASD. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an extensive exploratory study, collecting data from a sample of 3-year-old (N = 18; F = 3) and 4-year-old (N = 26; F = 3) with ASD. Children were observed in a free-play situation with an adult. They were free to choose an object from a predefined set. Through quantitative data, we have described the general characteristics of the manipulation of objects; through qualitative data, we aimed to capture and describe, in microgenetic sequences, some characteristics of children’s activities, defined as socio-material. The analysis of the socio-material activities suggested the role of objects as mediator of the interactions between children with ASD and adults.
Highlights
The main purpose of the present study was to investigate in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the communicative function that the activities with objects assume in the interactions with adults, highlighting the mediator role of objects in these interactions
According to the socio-material perspective and the scientific literature (Dominguez et al, 2006; Bruckner and Yoder, 2007), children’s activities with objects were classified according to three criteria: (1) Sensory-Motor Activities (SMAs), typical of interactions in which the child uses the toy as a means to engage in a sensorial experience, including any self-stimulating behavior with repetition of gestures or specific uses of an object; (2) Canonical Activities (Cas), referring to using the functional characteristics of objects and uses encoded in the child’s past experience; (3) Social-Interactive Activities (SIAs), referring to the child that uses the object as a mediator tool that promotes the relationship with the adult
In addition to the diagnosis of autism provided by experts, Socio-Material Use of Objects” checklist (SMUO) has been used to assess both the social behavior exhibited by children toward their partner and their exploratory behavior toward the objects
Summary
The main purpose of the present study was to investigate in children with ASD the communicative function that the activities with objects assume in the interactions with adults, highlighting the mediator role of objects in these interactions. To fulfill this aim, we implemented a quasi-experimental design, observing different forms of children’s “playful” interactions. A broader aim was to provide insights in adopting a sociomaterial approach to the activities of children with ASD analyzing the wider context
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