Object Play and Autism Spectrum Disorders Symptoms in Toddlers Aged 12–37 Month at Risk of Developmental Disorders

Abstract

Various studies have shown a relationship between the development of language and object play in children. Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show difficulties in both of these areas of functioning. But the knowledge about the relationships between the severity of ASD symptoms and object play in children at risk of developmental disorders remains limited. To explore these relationships, 44 children aged 13–37 months took part in this study. Object play and ASD symptoms were assessed in two age groups (13–18 months and 24–37 months). The results show that ASD symptom intensity is related to object play complexity in children at risk of developmental disorders. However, these relationships are different depending on the age of the children.

Keywords

• object play
• exploratory activity
• risk of developmental disorders
• autism spectrum disorders