Attachment and symbolic play in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders.
A preschool boy's organized attachment predicts stronger symbolic play, even more than secure attachment alone.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers watched 45 preschool boys with autism play with toys. They scored how well the boys used pretend play. They also tested each boy's attachment style using a short separation task.
The team compared boys with organized versus disorganized attachments. They did not just look at secure versus insecure.
What they found
Boys with organized attachments scored higher on symbolic play. Boys with disorganized attachments scored lower.
Surprisingly, secure versus insecure attachment made no difference. Only organized versus disorganized mattered for play skills.
How this fits with other research
Fullana et al. (2007) found toddlers with autism often show disorganized attachment. Marcu et al. (2009) now shows that same disorganization links to weaker symbolic play in preschool.
Rutherford et al. (2007) said joint attention drives pretend play growth. The new study adds attachment organization as another key piece.
Taylor et al. (1993) noted autistic kids can do symbolic play when prompted. Marcu et al. (2009) shows some kids start with better skills, tied to calmer attachment patterns.
Why it matters
When you assess play skills, note the child's attachment style. A calm, organized bond with caregivers may give the child a head start on pretend play. If you see disorganized attachment, plan extra support for symbolic play targets.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The association between attachment and symbolic play was examined in a sample of 45 preschool age boys with autism spectrum disorders. Attachment was assessed using the strange situation procedure, and the frequency, duration, diversity and complexity of child-initiated symbolic play was assessed from observations of mother-child interactions during free play and doll play. We hypothesized that children with secure attachments will score higher on measures of symbolic play compared to children with insecure attachments, and that children with organized attachments will also score higher on measures of symbolic play compared to children with disorganized attachments. Only the second hypothesis received support, and the reasons for this, as well as the implications of the findings for attachment theory, are discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2009 · doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0747-y