title: Restricted object use in young children with autism: definition and construct validity.
abstract: There are currently no measures of restricted object use in young children with autism. In this study the object play of 27 young children with autism was measured in a semi-structured context to quantify restricted object use. It was hypothesized that children who engaged in less restricted object use would show better responding, joint attention, motor imitation, and intentional communication. Partial correlation coefficients were calculated between restricted object use measured at time 1 and response to joint attention, motor imitation, and coordinated attention to object and person, at time 1 and time 2 (6 months later), controlling for developmental play level. The construct validity of this measure of restricted object use was supported by the statistically significant correlations in the predicted direction of all expected associations.
authors.affiliation: California Institute for Human Service, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA. cornelia.taylor@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cornelia Taylor
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Bruckner
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yoder
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires