Social play and social interactions are essential occupations for children, but can be challenging for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This systematic review investigates cortisol responsivity in children with ASD during naturalistic social play and social interactions. Methodology: Six control and comparison studies of moderate…

Electrodermal activity was examined as a measure of physiological arousal within a naturalistic play context in 2-year-old toddlers (N = 27) with and without autism spectrum disorder. Toddlers with autism spectrum disorder were found to have greater increases in skin conductance level than their typical peers in response to administered play…

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are impaired in social communication and interaction with peers, which may reflect diminished social motivation. Many children with ASD show enhanced stress when playing with other children. This study investigated social and stress profiles of children with ASD during play. Methods: We…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on functional and constructive play is presented. Some basic ideas for fostering dramatic play among the severely developmentally disabled are also introduced. In following a developmental approach, this guide identifies goals and objectives, and explains the relevance of…

Studied relationship of temperament and same-sex peer interaction with gender differences in adjustment. Found that highly arousable boys who played with same-sex peers had increased problem behaviors. Arousable girls who played with other girls were relatively unlikely to show problem behaviors. The arousability and same-sex peer interaction…