Symbolic play skills are important in language acquisition and child development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties demonstrating such play behaviors. Imaginary objects symbolic play refers to play behavior in which children perform play actions without actual objects. Three boys with ASD (3-7 years) participated…

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of an instructional procedure called "aided language modeling" (ALM) on symbol comprehension and expression in 2 preschool children with autism who used few words functionally. ALM consists of engaging the child in interactive play activities and providing models of use of…

An intervention approach emphasizing development of symbolic thought, communication, and interpersonal relationships was implemented with 26 children (ages 2-6) with pervasive developmental disorder, or severe emotional handicaps. Ss demonstrated significant changes in several targeted developmental areas, including cognition, perceptual/fine…

The development status of the communicatory behavior of 11 autistic children (4 to 9 years old) was assessed during free play sessions under two conditions: when teachers were present to direct the children's behavior and when teachers were absent and the children played among themselves. (Author)

This case study reports the effects of musical interaction therapy (MIT) on the social and symbolic development of a young autistic girl. MIT fosters interpersonal contact and joint attention by synchronizing live music to adult-child interactions. Results offer preliminary evidence that MIT facilitates playful joint action formats that generalize…

The development of and relationship between early language, symbolic play, sensorimotor skills, and social development were examined in a longitudinal study conducted in Japan with two young autistic males who were observed from the approximate ages of 2 to 4 years in clinic, day care, and home settings. One child acquired speech; the other did…