title: Supporting children on the autism spectrum in peer play at home and school: piloting the integrated play groups model in Taiwan.
abstract: The article focuses on integrated play groups (IPGs) as a model to support children with ASD in play with typically developing peers/siblings, and its recent adoption with children in a home and school setting in Taiwan. The first part provides a brief overview of the IPG model and its essential features. The second part reports on a pilot investigation that combined quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the effects of participation in IPGs on the symbolic and social play of two early elementary-aged children with autism. Preliminary findings suggest that each child made notable gains in reciprocal social interaction and symbolic/pretend play while participating in play groups. Implications are discussed in terms of play's role in enhancing socialization, imagination and peer cultural inclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Education, National Taipei Teachers College, Taiwan, ROC. try@tea.ntptc.edu.tw
authors.forename: Tsung-Ren
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wolfberg
authors.forename: Shu-Chin
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pey-Yun
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hwu
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010989:Play Therapy / Q000379:methods; D010988:Play and Playthings; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors