Examining the Role of Language in Play among Children with and without Developmental Disabilities
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| Title: | Examining the Role of Language in Play among Children with and without Developmental Disabilities |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Short, Elizabeth J., Schindler, Rachael Cooper, Obeid, Rita, Noeder, Maia M., Hlavaty, Laura E., Gross, Susan I., Lewis, Barbara, Russ, Sandra, Manos, Michael M. |
| Source: | Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. Jul 2020 51(3):795-806. |
| Availability: | American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: lshss@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.pubs.asha.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2020 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Child Language, Language Role, Play, Children, Developmental Disabilities, Language Impairments, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Scores, Language Skills, Intelligence Tests, Language Tests, Rating Scales |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Conners Rating Scales |
| DOI: | 10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00084 |
| ISSN: | 0161-1461 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Play is a critical aspect of children's development, and researchers have long argued that symbolic deficits in play may be diagnostic of developmental disabilities. This study examined whether deficits in play emerge as a function of developmental disabilities and whether our perceptions of play are colored by differences in language and behavioral presentations. Method: Ninety-three children participated in this study (typically developing [TD]; n = 23, developmental language disorders [DLD]; n = 24, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]; n = 26, and autism spectrum disorder [ASD]; n = 20). Children were videotaped engaging in free-play. Children's symbolic play (imagination, organization, elaboration, and comfort) was scored under conditions of both audible language and no audible language to assess diagnostic group differences in play and whether audible language impacted raters' perception of play. Results: Significant differences in play were evident across diagnostic groups. The presence of language did not alter play ratings for the TD group, but differences were found among the other diagnostic groups. When language was audible, children with DLD and ASD (but not ADHD) were scored poorly on play compared to their TD peers. When language was not audible, children with DLD were perceived to play better than when language was audible. Conversely, children with ADHD showed organizational deficits when language was not available to support their play. Finally, children with ASD demonstrated poor play performance regardless of whether language was audible or not. Conclusions: Language affects our understanding of play skills in some young children. Parents, researchers, and clinicians must be careful not to underestimate or overestimate play based on language presentation. Differential skills in language have the potential to unduly influence our perceptions of play for children with developmental disabilities. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2020 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1261196 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Play is a critical aspect of children's development, and researchers have long argued that symbolic deficits in play may be diagnostic of developmental disabilities. This study examined whether deficits in play emerge as a function of developmental disabilities and whether our perceptions of play are colored by differences in language and behavioral presentations. Method: Ninety-three children participated in this study (typically developing [TD]; n = 23, developmental language disorders [DLD]; n = 24, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]; n = 26, and autism spectrum disorder [ASD]; n = 20). Children were videotaped engaging in free-play. Children's symbolic play (imagination, organization, elaboration, and comfort) was scored under conditions of both audible language and no audible language to assess diagnostic group differences in play and whether audible language impacted raters' perception of play. Results: Significant differences in play were evident across diagnostic groups. The presence of language did not alter play ratings for the TD group, but differences were found among the other diagnostic groups. When language was audible, children with DLD and ASD (but not ADHD) were scored poorly on play compared to their TD peers. When language was not audible, children with DLD were perceived to play better than when language was audible. Conversely, children with ADHD showed organizational deficits when language was not available to support their play. Finally, children with ASD demonstrated poor play performance regardless of whether language was audible or not. Conclusions: Language affects our understanding of play skills in some young children. Parents, researchers, and clinicians must be careful not to underestimate or overestimate play based on language presentation. Differential skills in language have the potential to unduly influence our perceptions of play for children with developmental disabilities. |
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| ISSN: | 0161-1461 |
| DOI: | 10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00084 |
