Play in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Development and Characteristics

During play activities, children express behaviors, emotions, ways of thinking and learning, as well as social skills, desires, and fears. Differences in the play of children with ASD appear during the first year of life and remain during development. Impairment in symbolic play constitutes one of the most relevant clinical aspects observed during a clinical assessment in young children. However, caregiver involvement in child activities enhances the frequency, duration, and complexity of child play. Given the importance for children with ASD to maintain routines and stability, hospitalization constitutes a challenging moment since they are removed from their familiar environment. In this chapter, the focus will be on the characteristics of play of children with ASD during interaction with caregivers, and on the attention to be used in the context of hospitalization.