Examining the Role of Language in Play Among Children With and Without Developmental Disabilities

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Symbolic play deficits are considered potential indicators of developmental disabilities in children.
• Understanding the interplay between play, language, and behavioral differences is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if play deficits are linked to developmental disabilities.
• To determine if language and behavioral differences influence the perception of children's play skills.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-three children (typically developing, DLD, ADHD, ASD) were videotaped during free-play.
• Symbolic play was scored with and without audible language to assess diagnostic group differences.
• Raters' perceptions of play were analyzed under varying language conditions.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in symbolic play were observed across diagnostic groups.
• Audible language negatively impacted play ratings for children with DLD and ASD compared to typically developing peers.
• Children with ASD showed consistently poor play performance regardless of language presence, while ADHD and DLD groups showed context-dependent variations.

Conclusions:

• Language proficiency can significantly influence the assessment of play skills in children with developmental disabilities.
• Clinicians and researchers should be cautious about over- or underestimating play abilities based solely on language presentation.
• Differential language skills can unduly affect perceptions of play, highlighting the need for nuanced evaluation.