Children with disabilities demonstrate fewer complex pretend play behaviors than children with typical development, which might limit their social participation in early childhood settings. A multiple-probe design was used to examine the relation between a single prompt procedure--constant time delay--and the acquisition, maintenance, and…

One of the deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is impaired imaginative play. One form of imaginative play common in many typically developing (TD) children is having an imaginary companion (IC). The occurrence of ICs has not been investigated extensively in children with ASD. We examined differences in parent report of IC between…

Play is a "critical" intervention goal for children with autism in inclusive settings because it sets the occasion for social interactions and communication with peers, caregivers, and teachers, and provides an authentic context for embedding instruction. Furthermore, several research studies have found "pretend" play to be a predictor of social…

A study examined the cognitive underpinnings of spontaneous and prompted pretend play in 28 children with autism (ages 2-3), 24 children with developmental disorders, and 26 controls (ages 1-3). Children with autism were significantly delayed on pretend play scores. They also had significant deficits in a theory of mind measure. (Contains…

This article reviews the empirical evidence of difficulties in pretend play in children with autism. Data indicate individuals with autism have a marked difficulty in producing pretend play, a difficulty that is reduced by providing substantial structure to the play situation or by testing comprehension of pretense. (Contains references.)…