Abstract
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and stereotyped behaviors. Studies have been conducted on the differential development of children with ASD in activities that require imagination and creativity. Studies comparing children with ASD with typically developing children or children with other developmental disabilities, particularly in terms of imaginative symbolic play, are important for understanding both the development of symbolic play in ASD and cognitive development. This review discusses the various ideas that encompass empirical studies investigating the development of symbolic play in children with ASD and the meaning of such play, and attempt to explain the limitations observed with ASD. The studies reviewed show that children with ASD differ from control groups in the development of spontaneous symbolic play (e.g., spending less time on this play, constructing less complex games), and the sources of the observed differences may be related to both ability and performance.
References
Aghajani, T., Vakil, J. R., & Mustafayev, M. (2014). The effect of playing on children’s social skills (Case of study: Preschool children in Tehran)
Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A. M. ve Frith, U. (1985). Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind”?. Cognition, 21, 37-46.
Bigham, S. (2008). Comprehension of pretence in children with autism. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 26, 265-280.
Bigham, S. (2010). Impaired competence for pretense in children with autism: Exploring potential cognitive predictors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 30-38.
Campbell, S. B., Leezenbaum, N. B., Mahoney, A. S., Moore, E. L. ve Brownell, C. A. (2016). Pretend play and social engagement in toddlers at high and low genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 2305-2316.
Davis, P. E., Simon, H., Meins, E. ve Robins, D. L. (2018). Imaginary companions in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 2790-2799.
Dominguez, A., Ziviani, J. ve Rodger, S. (2006). Play behaviours and play object preferences of young children with autistic disorder in a clinical play environment. Autism, 10, 53-69.
González-Sala, F., Gómez-Marí, I., Tárraga-Mínguez, R., Vicente Carvajal, A. ve Pastor-Cerezuela, G. (2021). Symbolic play among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A scoping review. Children, 8(9), 801.
Harris, P. L. (1993). Pretending and planning. S. Baron-Cohen, H. Tager-Flusberg ve D. Cohen (Haz.) Understanding other minds: Perspectives from Autism (s. 228-246). Oxford University Press.
Hill, E. L. (2004). Evaluating the theory of executive dysfunction in autism. Developmental Review, 24, 189-233.
Hobson, J., Hobson, R. P., Malik, S., Bargiota, K. ve Calo, S. (2013). The relation between social engagement and pretend play in autism. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31, 114–127.
Hobson, R. P., Lee, A. ve Hobson, J. A. (2009). Qualities of symbolic play among children with autism: A social-developmental perspective. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(1), 12-22.
Jarrold, C., Boucher, J. ve Smith, P. K. (1996). Generativity deficits in pretend play in autism. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 14, 275-300.
Jabbarov, R., Mustafayev, M., Aliyev, J., Nasibova, U., & Bayramov, M. (2023). Psychological issues of the relationship between self-esteem and aggression in students studying in different faculties. Revista De Gestão E Secretariado, 14(10), 17236–17253. https://doi.org/10.7769/gesec.v14i10.2773
Jabbarov, R., Valiyeva Y., Nasirova N., Kazimova K. (2020). The creation of feedback in training as a mobilizing factor for the cognitive activity of students. Revista de Investigación Apuntes Universitarios. 10(1), 207 -221
Kavanaugh, R. D. ve Harris, P. L. (1994). Imagining the outcome of pretend transformations: Assessing the competence of normal children and children with autism. Developmental Psychology, 30, 847-854.
Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D. ve Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 1–34.
Motoshima, Y., Shinohara, I., Todo, N. ve Moriguchi, Y. (2014). Parental behaviour and children’s creation of imaginary companions: A longitudinal study. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11, 716-727.
Ramiz A. K., Vakil C. R.(2020). Socio-psychological issues of changing values in adolescents – youth in education. Práxis Educacional. 2020; 16 (37): 578–590. DOI: 10.22481/ praxisedu.v16i37.6406
Thiemann-Bourque, K. S., Brady, N. C. ve Fleming, K. K. (2012). Symbolic play of preschoolers with severe communication impairments with autism and other developmental delays: More similarities than differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 863-873.
Turner, M. (1997). Towards an executive dysfunction account of repetitive behaviour in autism. J. Russell (Haz.), Autism as an executive disorder (s. 57-100). Oxford University Press.
Vakil J. R.( 2020). Mechanisms of socio-psychological adaptation of refugees. Journal of interdisciplinary debates. 2020. Vol. 1, no. 1. URL: https://doi.org/10.29327/217379.1.1-3
Zelazo, P. D., Carter, A., Reznick, J. S. ve Frye, D. (1997). Early development of executive function: A problem-solving framework. Review of General Psychology, 1, 198-226.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rashid Jabbarov, Aydan Nazarova