Symbolic Play in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Öz

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to have problems in social communication and engage in repetitive, stereotypical behaviors. There are studies investigating the developmental differences in children with ASD in activities that require imagination and creativity. It is especially important to study differences in symbolic play in children with ASD compared to typically developing children or to children with other developmental delays in order to understand the development of symbolic play in this group as well as understanding cognitive development in general. In this review, studies investigating comprehension of and engagement in symbolic play in children with ASD are reviewed and different perspectives that attempt to explain the limitations observed in this group are discussed. Based on the reviewed studies, it can be concluded that children with ASD differ from the control groups in spontaneous pretend play (e.g., spending less time in this type of play, engaging in less sophisticated play behaviors) and that these differences can be attributed to both competence and performance problems.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• symbolic play
• pretend play
• imagination
• metarepresentation

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklarda Sembolik Oyun

Öz

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) olan çocuklarda sosyal iletişim problemleri ve tekrarlanan, basmakalıp davranışlar gözlenmektedir. OSB olan çocukların hayal gücü ve yaratıcılık gerektiren aktivitelerdeki farklı gelişimine ilişkin araştırmalar da söz konusudur. Özellikle hayal gücüne dayalı sembolik oyunlarda OSB olan çocukların tipik gelişim gösteren çocuklarla veya diğer gelişimsel yetersizliği olan çocuklarla kıyaslandığı çalışmalar hem sembolik oyunun OSB’deki gelişimini hem de zihinsel gelişimi anlamak adına önemlidir. Bu derlemede OSB olan çocukların sembolik oyun üretimini ve bu tür oyunu anlamlandırmalarını inceleyen ampirik çalışmalara yer verilmiş, OSB’de görülen sınırlılıkların nedenlerini açıklamaya çalışan farklı görüşler tartışılmıştır. Taranan çalışmalar, OSB olan çocukların özellikle spontane/kendiliğinden sembolik oyun üretme konusunda kontrol gruplarından farklılaştığını (örn., bu oyuna daha az zaman ayırmak, daha az karmaşık oyunlar yaratmak), gözlemlenen farklılıkların kaynağının ise hem yeterlilik hem de performans ile ilişkili olabileceğini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu
• sembolik oyun
• -mış gibi oyun
• hayal gücü
• zihinsel temsil

Kaynakça

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