title: Pretend play of children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate self-initiated pretend play of children with cerebral palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty preschool children participated in the study. Pretend play ability was measured by using the child-initiated pretend play assessment culturally adapted to Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant negative correlations between the children's motor severity level and their elaborateness of play with conventional-imaginative and symbolic play materials and a number of object substitutions in symbolic play. This indicated that children with greater motor limitations had diminished play ability. In this sample, 35% of the children showed typical play styles, identified by good scores in elaborate pretend play actions, number of object substitutions, and ability to self-initiate play, whereas 65% showed delay in their play.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The type of pretend play deficits that might be expected in children with cerebral palsy were described. Furthermore, suggested directions for therapeutic intervention to enhance pretend play performance in cerebral palsy children were proposed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. luziara@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Luzia Iara
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.forename: Amanda Mota
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pacciulio
authors.forename: Camila Abrão Dos
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Jair Lício Dos
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Karen Ellen
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Stagnitti
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D015588:Observer Variation; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014741:Video Recording