Summary:
The play development , from functional to symbolic, from exploratory to creative,imaginative follows the stages of child development. In children with ASD( autism spectrum disorders) play participation and in particular , pretend play, when present, lags behind in complexity, imagination and prototype, and is often repeated, stereotyped and non-functional. The requirements of play are many for the child with
autism through the difficulties that characterize the disorder. Communication, social
interaction, as well as imagination and thought are key areas in which it is disadvantaged, creating difficulties in creating new representations, pretending and assuming
roles, organizing thought classifications and performing , as well as joint attention.
Playing in children is, in addition to outlet and creativity, a means of assessing the
stage of development as well as the level of their social skills. This can therefore be
an important tool for children in the autism spectrum (educators, carers, therapists),
but also the closest environment, parents and siblings.
The purpose of this work, through the specific difficulties of children in the autism
spectrum, was to evaluate play skills and register them by the parents themselves.
Upon completion, a link of the assessment by the parent will be created, with ways to
enhance the playing skills and improvement strategies in an early, as far as possible
intervention.
Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder,ASD,play,functional play,pretend play,play skills.
