LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 24:1 January 2024
ISSN 1930-2940

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         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
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         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

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Toy Preferences of Children with ASD:
A Preliminary Study from Southern Kerala

Dr. Lakshmi. S. Mohan, Ph.D.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the choice of toy preferences of young children with autism spectrum disorders in a free play session.

Method: Twelve children with ASD were assessed on their choice of toy selection on a ten-minute-long free play session. The toys with which the participant demonstrated play behavior were only considered for analyzing the toy selection. The play behaviors were coded following the play coding scheme of Libby, Powell, Messer and Jordan (1998). ELAN software was employed for analyzing the video recordings.

Result: Friedman test was employed to find out any significant difference present in the choice of toy selection by children with ASD. The results indicated a strong preference for infant toys, followed by the Animal, Vehicle toy category and the toy Bat. Furthermore, the infant toys were mostly used to engage in sensorimotor play rather than functional play. However, Vehicle toy category elicited more functional play behavior in children compared to Animal toy category.

Conclusion: In a free play session, young children with ASD exhibited a preference to Infant toys, vehicles and animal toys, of which vehicle toys had the potential to elicit functional play from them. Rehabilitation professionals should give special attention to the usefulness of play skills and the type of toys that need to be selected for early assessment and interventions of these children.

Keywords: Children with ASD, Toy Play, Sensorimotor play, Autism, ELAN

Introduction

Play is the primary occupation of preschool children having the potential to unveil the windows of their developmental skills (Kennedy-Behr, Rodger, Mickan, 2013).Children build their basic fundamental skills needed for the development of language, social communication, social cognition through the early pleasurable routine namely play. Knowing the importance of play in the early periods of life, the field of school psychology appreciated the possibility of play in the assessment and intervention of children with disability for decades. Following this direction, Piaget (1962) and Vygotsky (1978) initiated studies on the changes of play behavior in children during the course of their development. According to Piaget (1952), play provides a natural opportunity for children to explore, manipulate and imitate the environment around them. This fastens the development of cognitive and sensory motor skills in them.

Most of the studies on play focused on the toddler period as in this period, children become increasingly competent in their interaction with objects and adults. The more mature motor skills allow them to freely move around and explore objects in the environment. Object manipulation becomes an inevitable part of this phase (Pellegrini & Smith, 1998). Later their manipulation becomes more organized, beginning to attend and imitate the actions of the common objects, and use it more meaningfully in the daily context leading to the emergence of symbolic play. In a symbolic play, children pretend to use objects on their own, with others and in combination with other toys. Hence play objects such as toys have an integral role in the play experience of 90% of preschool children (Tizzard et al, 1976)

Previous research suggested scant studies on the effects of a toy on play skills. Yet, the studies discussing the importance of toys on play skill highlighted the physical attribute, toy preference and parent choice of toys. The physical nature of the toys influences the development in the various domains such as cognition, social, fine and gross motor function. Toys of contrasting colors and textures, with multiple parts, offer the chances for multiple responses and play manners to children. The selection of toys is often determined by the interest of the child towards the toy, the developmental level of the child, the availability of the toy and the impact of cultural beliefs.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Lakshmi. S. Mohan, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer/Speech Language Pathologist
Department of Neurodevelopmental Sciences
National Institute of Speech and Hearing, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
lakshmis@nish.ac.in
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