Social Interaction and Play

All children learn through play. Play is a very motivating learning tool. However, children who have autism engage in unusual play activities. Engaging a child with autism in social integration and appropriate play can pose many challenges for families.

Many autistic children like to play in isolation. They engage in stereotyped repetitive movements and become enthralled with parts of objects. Imaginative play is not a natural form of entertainment or learning for the autistic child.

Some interventions can be used to encourage social interaction and appropriate play. One of the best approaches to take is to use the child's interests and integrate it into normal play. Greenspan's Floortime is an approach that does just this.

Floortime requires the parent to observe the child at play. The adult gradually joins the play activity always following the child's lead. The parent makes no demands but expands on the activity by adding different elements in the hopes that the child will build on that new element.

For example, a child with autism likes to put cars in a line. The parent observes the child's activity and begins to put cars in the line going in another direction. The child adds cars to the parent's new direction.

Using toys that have appeal to the senses is a great way to motivate an autistic child to reciprocate play in the home environment. Bubbles, tickles and swinging are wonderful sensory activities that encourage the child to use communication and reference the other player.