EPA-0996 – Sensory-Perceptual Experiences and Object Play in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Introduction:

Orthodox theories of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focused on cognitive impairments, but other kinds of problems can also be observed.

Objectives:

While play as a fundamental activity in the child's life supports several aspects of his/her development, certain forms show particularly large differences in ASD compared to the typical developing (TD) children's play.

Aims:

The aim of my study was to explore the relationship between the child's sensitivity in his/her certain modalities and quality of object use/play.

Methods:

On the one hand, I used Bogdashina's (2003) Sensory Profile Checklist Revised (SPCR) to know more about ASD-children's sensory-perceptual processes. On the other hand, video analysis was applied by Noldus Observer XT 8.0 program software to explore some characteristics of object play.

Results:

Different sensory-perceptual experiences and patterns of object use were explored in TD and ASD. The latter group usually demonstrated a higher level of sensitivity than control persons. Tactility was found to be in stronger correlation with exploration, and this type of object use also showed correlation with adequate object use in TD. Furthermore, conventional object use also correlated with creative object play. ASD-children rather demonstrated stronger association between taste and imitation but did not present a similar relation between the frequency and/or time duration of the diversified forms of play activity with objects.

Conclusions:

In this way, ASD-children usually demonstrated unusual behaviour patterns. However, the various types of object use build on each other, thus the lack of any kind of play activity causes further problems in the individuals’ life.