Children's Pretend Play Research Articles

Implementation of Learn to Play Therapy for Children in Special Schools.

Play is the primary occupation in childhood and fundamental to occupational therapy practice. To evaluate a play intervention in special school settings. Pre- and postinvolvement of a 7-mo play program. Four special schools in Victoria, Australia, for children with IQs < 70. Thirty-eight children with diagnoses including intellectual disability, autism, and global developmental delay, 7 teachers, 2 speech pathologists, and 2 occupational therapists. Learn to Play Therapy for 1 hr per week over a 7-mo period. Pre-post outcome measures included children's pretend play skills, language, social skills, emotional regulation, and academic competence. Mean age of 38 children (15 girls and 23 boys) at baseline was 5 yr 7 mo (SD = 0.46 yr). Results showed significant changes in children's pretend play (p = .03), ability to recall sentences (p = .02), social skills (p = .022), and academic competence (p = .012). Learn to Play had a large effect on children's narrative skills (d = 2.72). At follow-up, object substitution at baseline influenced expressive language (p < .001), narrative mean language utterance (MLU; p = .015), social skills (p < .001), and academic competence (p < .001); elaborate play at baseline plus time influenced social skills (p < .001); and elaborate play at baseline influenced narrative MLU (p =. 016), sentence recall (p = .009), and academic competence (p = .001). Embedding pretend play within practice positively influenced children's language, narrative, social, and academic skills. Plain-Language Summary: This study adds to the limited research on play-based therapy programs in special school settings for children with an IQ of less than 70. Children participated in Learn to Play Therapy, during which an occupational therapist, who has observed and assessed the child's play and understands the child's play abilities, played beside the child. Learn to Play Therapy is a child-centered therapy that is used to increase a child's ability to self-initiate and enjoy pretend play. The positive impacts of supporting the children's pretend play ability were highlighted by increases in their pretend play, language, social skills, academic competence, and narrative language after participating in Learn to Play Therapy in their special schools.

Does a high threshold of sensory responsiveness affect the development of pretend play in children on the autism spectrum?

BackgroundAmong the current avenues of research into the origins and development of the autism spectrum, those concerning atypical levels of sensory responsiveness are gaining increasing relevance. Researchers note the relationship of sensory responsiveness in children on the autism spectrum to their motor, cognitive and social development. Current research reports combines the responsiveness to sensory stimuli also with the development of pretend play. Aim of this study was to verify the relationship between the level of development of pretend play and the level of sensory responsiveness in children on the autism spectrum.MethodsA study was conducted in a group of 63 children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum aged from 3 years and 7 months to 9 years and 3 months using: Pretend Play subscale from the Theory of Mind Mechanism Scale and Sensory Experiences Questionnaire version 2.1.ResultsThe results revealed that elevated sensory hyporesponsiveness predicted low pretend play skills in the group of participating children.ConclusionThe study verified the contribution of the level of sensory hyporesponsiveness to explaining the atypical development of pretend play in children on the autism spectrum.

Promoting Reciprocity During Pretend Play in Children with Autism

Promoting Reciprocity During Pretend Play in Children with Autism

The significance of parental mentalizing for four-year-old children's solitary pretend play.

Pretend play is a signature behavior of early childhood and is considered to reflect the child's emerging symbolic function, enabling the interpretation of social signals, language development, and emotion understanding. While theory links parental mentalizing with children's pretend play, only a few studies have investigated this association. These studies are limited to infancy and early toddlerhood, and child pretend play is assessed during play with an adult (social play). Based on the assumption that child solitary pretend play reflects the child's 'baseline' pretend play ability, in this study, we investigated children's pretend play at its peak, i.e., during the preschool age, without the facilitation of another player. The overall objective was to investigate if parental mentalizing increases pretend play complexity in children. The sample consisted 99 Danish mothers and their 4-year-old children. Employing a cross-sectional design, we hypothesized that parental mental state language, as an indicator of 'online' mentalizing during interaction with the child, is a mechanism through which 'offline' mentalizing, measured as parental reflective functioning, is associated with child solitary pretend play. Child pretend play complexity was observed and coded with an adapted version of the 12-Step Play Scale. Maternal offline mentalizing was assessed with the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and maternal online mentalizing was assessed by coding the mothers' mental state language during interaction with the child using a modified version of the mind-mindedness coding scheme. While there was no direct effect of maternal offline reflective functioning on child pretend play, online mental state language mediated the link between offline maternal reflective functioning and child pretend play. These results provide support for the theoretically assumed link between parental mentalizing and children's capacity for pretend play. Furthermore, our study contributes to the literature on parental mentalization, suggesting that parental mentalizing facilitates child development only if the parent can translate this ability into 'mentalizing in action'.

Qualitative and quantitative pretend play and their predictors in children with autism spectrum disorder: A path-analysis study

Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties in both qualitive and quantitative pretend play. Theory of mind (ToM), symptom severity, and verbal comprehension appear to be potential correlates of pretend play. However, the underlying relationships of these correlates to pretend play remain unclear. Therefore, we applied path analysis to explore the relationships among these variables in children with ASD. A total of 151 children with ASD aged 3 to 12 years and their caregivers participated in this study. Children’s pretend play, ToM, verbal comprehension, and symptom severity were respectively assessed with Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment, Theory of Mind Task Battery, The verbal comprehension index of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children–Fourth Edition or Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Fourth Edition, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The results showed that the SEM model fit well. The quality and quantity of pretend play were correlated to each other. ToM was positively related to qualitive and quantitative pretend play. Moreover, symptom severity was directly related to quality of pretend play; verbal comprehension was indirectly linked to quantity and quality of pretend play through ToM and symptom severity. In conclusion, our study reveals the underlying relationships of ToM, symptom severity, and verbal comprehension to quantitative and qualitative pretend play in children with ASD. This study both clarifies the important factors of qualitative and quantitative pretend play and provides suggestions to improve pretend play in children with ASD.

Pretend play as the space for development of self-regulation: cultural-historical perspective.

Self-regulated behavior is a prerequisite for learning and success in life. Considerable research confirms that mature forms of play support the development of self-regulation in the early years. This study explores the relationship between (3-6-year-olds) children's pretend play and self-regulation skills. Teachers filled out a child's play and self-regulation checklist evaluating the level of children's play and self-regulation skills. The findings revealed that the levels of children's play and self-regulation skills are statistically significantly linked: the better the child performs an assumed role in play activity, the higher the level of their self-regulation. The results also suggest that a child's playing skills, gender, and age predict children's self-regulation skills manifested in play activity.

A Comparative Study of the Theory of Mind and Pretend Play in Children With High-Functioning Autism and Healthy Peers Aged 5-7 Years

Background and Aims Autism spectrum disorder is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders. The main symptoms of this disorder are problems in communication and social interactions, and having repetitive and limited patterns of behaviors. Considering the importance of the theory of mind (TOM) and pretend play in cognitive and social development of children and the existence of mentioned problems in children with autism, this study aims to compare the effects of pretend play and the TOM between normal children and children with high-functioning autism (HFA). Methods In this analytical-comparative study, 45 normal children and 18 children with HFA were selected. They underwent TOM test and Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (CHIPPA). Then, the collected data were analyzed. Results The mean total score of TOM test was 9.94 in autistic children and 28.96 in normal children. The mean percentages of elaborated pretend actions in total were 87.96 and 43.45 in normal children and children with HFA, respectively. The mean number of object substitutions was 16.47 in normal children and 2.81 in children with HFA. Also, the mean number of imitated actions in total was 2.02 in normal children and 3.06 in children with HFA. Conclusion Autistic children have poorer performance in the TOM test and pretend play compared to normal peers. They have poorer elaborated pretend actions and object substitutions; however, the number of imitated actions in the pretend play is low in both groups.

Using Least-To-Most Prompting to Increase the Frequency and Diversity of Pretend Play in Children with Autism

We examined the effects of the least-to-most prompting (LTM) procedure with contingent imitation (CI) on increasing the frequency and diversity of pretend play in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a multiple probe across toy sets single-case research design. Three children with ASD ages 5 to 6 years took part in the study. LTM was functionally related to increases in the frequency and diversity of children’s pretend play. Novel pretend play behaviors, sequences, and vocalizations also increased for all children. Importantly, all children maintained the target skills 1, 2, and 4 weeks after the intervention and generalized them across their homes, mothers, and different toys.

The Relationship of Symptom Severity and Pretend Play in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract Date Presented 03/28/20 Symptom severity may be an important predictor of pretend-play performance in children with ASD. In this study, we applied an elaborate pretend-play assessment to characterize the pretend play of children with ASD with different symptom-severity levels. The results demonstrate that children with very mild autistic traits display more object substitutions and higher percentages of elaborate pretend play actions than children with severe ASD during symbolic play. Primary Author and Speaker: Yu-Ling Chen Contributing Authors: I-Ning Fu, Meng-Ru Liu, Yen-Ting Yu, Hsing-Jung Li, Ching-Hong Tsai, Kuan-Lin Chen

환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이가 창의성에 미치는 효과

본 연구의 목적은 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이가 창의성에 미치는 효과를 알아보는데 있다. 연구대상 유아들은 K광역시에 위치한 I유치원 만 5세반의 실험집단 유아 20명과 S유치원 만 5세반의 비교집단 유아 20명으로 총 40명이다. 유아들은 6주 동안 12회에 걸쳐 실험집단에서는 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이를, 비교집단은 환상동화에 따른 일반적인 이야기나누기 활동을 실시하였다. 연구결과는 첫째, 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이를 한 실험집단의 유아들은 비교집단의 유아들보다 창의성, 유창성, 독창성, 상상력 점수가 높았다. 둘째, 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이를 한 실험집단의 유아들은 비교집단의 유아들보다 수렴적 사고, 수렴적 발문, 확산적 사고, 확산적 발문 점수가 높았다. 셋째, 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이는 남아보다 여아의 창의성 점수가 높게 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 환상동화에 따른 유아들의 가상놀이가 유아의 창의성 증진을 위한 전략 및 교수 학습방법의 매체가 될 수 있음을 시사해 주고 있다.

Prevalence of imaginary companions in Japanese children.

Having an imaginary companion (IC) is an example of children's pretend play. However, most research regarding children's ICs is from Western cultures. In this study, the prevalence of ICs was assessed among Japanese children (2- to 9-year-old children, N = 800). The developmental (age), biological (sex), and environmental (birth order) effects on Japanese children's ICs were also assessed. Moreover, whether IC status can be an indicator of fantasy orientation in Japanese children was examined. The results revealed that the prevalence of the invisible friend was relatively rare, but the personified object was prevalent in Japanese children. Age and sex, but not birth order, significantly affected the prevalence of ICs in Japan. Moreover, IC status significantly indicated children's fantasy orientation. The results suggest that the characteristics of Japanese children's ICs are partly different from those in Western children. Social-cultural contexts can affect this difference.

Developmental Changes in Pretend Play from 22- to 34-Months in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Developmental trajectories of children's pretend play and social engagement, as well as parent sensitivity and stimulation, were examined in toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, high risk; HR) and toddlers with typically-developing older siblings (low risk; LR). Children (N=168, 97 boys, 71 girls) were observed at 22, 28, and 34months during free play with a parent and elicited pretend play with an examiner. At 28 and 34months, children were asked to imagine the consequences of actions pantomimed by the examiner on a pretend transformation task. At 36months children were assessed for ASD, yielding 3 groups for comparison: HR children with ASD, HR children without ASD (HR-noASD), and LR children. Children in all 3 groups showed developmental changes, engaging in more bouts of pretend play and obtaining higher scores on the elicited pretend and transformation tasks with age, but children with ASD lagged behind the other 2 groups on most measures. Children with ASD were also less engaged with their parents or the examiner during play interactions than either LR or HR-noASD children, with minimal developmental change evident. Parents, regardless of group, were highly engaged with their children, but parents of HR-noASD children received somewhat higher ratings on stimulation than parents of LR children. Most group differences were not accounted for by cognitive functioning. Instead, lower social engagement appears to be an important correlate of less advanced pretend skills, with implications for understanding the early development of children with ASD and for early intervention.

Models of Disability in Children's Pretend Play: Measurement of Cognitive Representations and Affective Expression Using the Affect in Play Scale.

Play is a natural mode of children’s expression and constitutes a fundamental aspect of their life. Cognitive, affective, and social aspects can be assessed through play, considered as a “window” to observe a child’s functioning. According to Russ’s model, cognitive and affective components and their reciprocal connections can be assessed through the Affect in Play Scale (APS). The aim of the present study was to investigate children’s representations of the three main models of disability (medical, social, and biopsychosocial) and how these models affected cognitive and affective components of children’s play. Sixty-three children, aged 6–10 years, were assessed by means of the APS. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two APS task orders: the standard APS task followed by the modified APS task (including a wheelchair toy), or vice versa. The standard and modified APS sessions were coded according to the APS system. The modified APS sessions were also coded for the model of disability expressed by children. A one-way ANOVA conducted on the APS affective and cognitive indexes revealed an effect of condition on the affective components of play and no effect on cognitive components and variety of affect as assessed by the APS. In addition, when children are involved in pretend play from which concepts of disability emerge, these concepts are almost exclusively related to the medical model of disability. Results suggested implications for intervention with children in educational contexts that aim to teach children about disability.

Theory of mind predominantly associated with the quality, not quantity, of pretend play in children with autism spectrum disorder.

This study aimed to clarify the relationships between theory of mind and pretend play in children with autism spectrum disorder, using refined assessments of theory of mind and pretend play while controlling for autistic behaviors and verbal comprehension. A total of 92 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 4-10years were enrolled. In two visits, the children were assessed with the Theory of Mind Task Battery, the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and the Verbal Comprehension Index of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, respectively, for their theory of mind, pretend play performance, autistic behaviors, and verbal comprehension. The hierarchical regression models showed that in addition to the contributions of the autistic behaviors and verbal comprehension scores, the theory of mind scores positively predicted (p<0.001) the elaborateness scores of pretend play in the conventional imaginative and symbolic play contexts, respectively, accounting for an additional 8.1 and 18.5% of the variance, but did not predict the scores for number of object substitutions or imitated actions. The findings demonstrate that theory of mind has a predominant role in the quality, not the quantity, of pretend play of children with autism spectrum disorder, when the children's autistic behaviors and verbal comprehension are considered. This study fills a gap in the previous literature and provides information useful for clinicians and researchers on the relationships between theory of mind and pretend play in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Varying Efficacy and Interaction of Teachers in Pretend Play of Children, Based on Their Knowledge of Pretend Play Levels

This study attempted to investigate the teachers’ knowledge concerning the levels of pretend play of children, and examine their efficacy and interaction in pretend play. The subjects were 41 teachers, tutoring 3 to 4 year old students enrolled in 19 daycare centers, in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The subjects answered a questionnaire, and data were collected on the knowledge and efficacy of teachers. The teachers’ level of interaction was based on observation.BR Based on answers to the questionnaire and surveillance during interaction of the teachers, following results were observed. The teachers had difficulty in recognizing some levels of pretend play. Based on their knowledge, there were significant differences in pretend play efficacy of teachers, and their interaction during pretend play. BR This study provides practical suggestions for a teacher’s training program, to promote their knowledge about pretend play of children.

Predictors and Moderators of Spontaneous Pretend Play in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Although pretend play has long been linked to children’s normative cognitive development, inconsistent findings call for greater rigor in examining this relation (Lillard et al., 2013). Spontaneous pretend play is often impacted in atypical development, notably in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since ASD traits exist along a continuum in the general population, investigating how pretend play varies across the range of ASD symptoms by indexing variations in ASD traits in both typically developing and ASD populations may provide insight into how ASD symptoms may influence the relation between pretend play and associated processes in cognitive development. This study used rigorous observational methods to assess spontaneous pretend play. Specifically, 5-min free-play sessions with two discrete toy sets were double-coded by blinded coders (coder assignment counterbalanced). Key facets of pretense development [attribution of pretend properties (APP), object substitution (OS), imaginary objects] were examined. These facets of pretend play production were then analyzed in relation to ASD symptoms, as well as plausible, long-theorized correlates [theory of mind (ToM), verbal ability, familiarity, and interest in specific toys]. Forty children (Mage = 6;5, SDage = 1.45; 29 males), six of whom met the threshold for ASD diagnosis via parent-reported ASD symptoms, participated in play sessions and completed measures of verbal IQ and ToM. Besides the measure of child ASD symptoms, parents completed a survey of their child’s interest in and familiarity with the play session toys. Overall, greater ToM predicted more APP, and more interest in the toys presented predicted more OS. In terms of overall pretend play production, two results were counterintuitive. First, among children with more ASD symptoms, verbal ability marginally negatively predicted pretend play production. Second, among children with fewer ASD symptoms, ToM negatively predicted pretend play production. Further probing revealed that the negative effect of ASD symptoms on pretend play was simultaneously moderated by both variables: low ToM and high verbal ability both related to less pretend play production among children with more ASD symptoms. Implications for assessment and subsequent treatment for pretend ability among children with varying degrees of ASD symptoms, as well as for future research, are discussed.

Pretend play, divergent thinking, and math achievement in girls: A longitudinal study.

The present study examined longitudinal relationships among early pretend play, divergent thinking, and academic achievement in school-age girls. Theoretically, processes in pretend play should relate to divergent thinking and academic achievement. The aim of the present study was to establish longitudinal correlates of pretend play in school-age girls. It was hypothesized that early measures of pretend play would predict divergent thinking and academic achievement, controlling for verbal intelligence, at a 4-year follow-up. Thirty-one girls in the fourth through eighth grades participated in the study. Four years before the present study, these children received the Affect in Play Scale and a divergent thinking task. Children in the present study were administered a divergent thinking task (Alternate Uses Task). In addition, AIMSweb scores of academic achievement in reading and math were collected from school records. As hypothesized, early pretend play predicted later divergent thinking. Children whose pretend play was more imaginative and organized generated more alternate uses for common objects. Positive affect in play predicted originality of responses. In addition, both pretend play and divergent thinking predicted girls’ mathematics achievement longitudinally. Divergent thinking and play combined accounted for 31% of the variance in math achievement over time. All results remained significant when verbal intelligence was controlled. The present study provides important longitudinal evidence for the predictive power of pretend play in children’s development and adaptive functioning, particularly as it relates to divergent thinking and math achievement in girls.

Teaching and Generalizing Pretend Play in Children with Autism Using Video Modeling and Matrix Training

Children with autism spectrum disorder often lack play skills. Video modeling has been effective in producing play; however, this play is often lacking in novelty. The purpose of the present study was to combine video modeling and matrix training to teach children with autism to engage in sequences of play with 30 vocalizations and 40 actions. Matrix training was used in an attempt to enhance generalization, specifically in recombining elements of play across play scenarios. Three participants were trained on three play scenarios for three play sets and materials using video modeling. Play scenarios were arranged in a 3‐dimensional matrix, which also depicted the possible recombined sequences that could emerge. Probes were then conducted to determine whether different combinations of play would occur. Results for all participants showed that after training on three video modeling play scenarios, learned vocalizations and actions were recombined across previously unlearned combinations of play sets and materials. Results also showed that after video modeling began, novel play that was not seen in baseline sessions emerged for all participants. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Professional paths over six decades researching and practicing play

Reflecting on more than a half century of research and clinical practice, we focus on one feature of the human condition, our ability to engage in mental imaginative representations. Our research deals with pretend play of children, and adult thought focusing on possible worlds, potential social interactions, stream of consciousness, and planful action sequences. We point to ways research on play, imagination, and self-systems, may be incorporated into clinical practice. Two cases representing how research affected treatment in a toilet phobic child, and treatment with an adult manifesting anxiety and depression are discussed. In both cases, we highlight how the use of imagination, in particular, affected the outcomes.

Differences in Theory of Mind and Pretend Play Associations in Children with and Without Specific Language Impairment

SummaryChildren with specific language impairment (SLI) have difficulty engaging in social pretend play, which cannot be explained exclusively by their deficient language skills. Alternatively, the ability to represent mental states (Theory of Mind [ToM]) might be important in appreciating peers' perspectives during pretend play. This study investigated whether ToM was associated with pretend play abilities in children with and without SLI. Forty‐four children (22 with SLI, 22 with typical development [TD]) between 4 and 6 years of age participated in ToM tasks and a dyadic role play activity. Children with SLI performed significantly more poorly on ToM tasks than children with TD; however, there were no significant group differences in children's role play abilities. Partial correlations revealed a positive and significant association between ToM and social pretend play in children with TD but a negative and not significant association in children with SLI. These findings suggest that not all forms and aspects of pretend play require mental representation in order to understand or engage in pretend play. Further, children with SLI may differ in their mental representational abilities from children with TD. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.