title: Play behavior and attachment in toddlers with autism.
abstract: Play helps to develop social skills. Children with autism show deviances in their play behavior that may be associated with delays in their social development. In this study, we investigated manipulative, functional and symbolic play behavior of toddlers with and without autism (mean age: 26.45, SD 5.63). The results showed that the quality of interaction between the child and the caregiver was related to the development of play behavior. In particular, security of attachment was related to better play behavior. When the developmental level of the child is taken into account, the attachment relationship of the child with the caregiver at this young age is a better predictor of the level of play behavior than the child's disorder.
authors: Centre for Child and Family studies, University of Leiden, 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. Fnaber@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
authors: Fabiënne B A
authors: FB
authors: Naber
authors: Marian J
authors: MJ
authors: Bakermans-Kranenburg
authors: Marinus H
authors: MH
authors: van Ijzendoorn
authors: Sophie H N
authors: SH
authors: Swinkels
authors: Jan K
authors: JK
authors: Buitelaar
authors: Claudine
authors: C
authors: Dietz
authors: Emma
authors: E
authors: van Daalen
authors: Herman
authors: H
authors: van Engeland
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013997:Time Factors