Developing Pretend Play in Autistic Children Using the Playboxes Joint Play Approach as Part of Ongoing Practice

Seven autistic preschoolers joined weekly Playboxes sessions in their special-ed classroom.

Each box held themed toys like doctor kits or picnic sets. Staff joined the child’s play and modeled pretend steps.

After three months the team scored each child’s pretend play on a standard test.

Every child jumped 8 to 30 months in pretend-play age scores.

The lowest jumper still gained two-thirds of a year; the top gainer added two and a half years.

Merlo et al. (2023) also ran naturalistic teaching in preschool rooms and saw big language gains. Both studies show that everyday classroom moments can drive large developmental leaps.

Herrero-Martín et al. (2024) used robots instead of adult play partners. Their kids stayed engaged, but the gains were smaller and less broad. Face-to-face joint play may pack more punch than screen or robot helpers.

Eggleston et al. (2018) sorted autistic preschoolers by sensory profiles. Marwick’s wide jump range fits that picture: kids with milder sensory needs shot up 30 months, while sensory-heavy kids grew 8. Check sensory patterns before you pick play toys.

You can copy Playboxes tomorrow. Grab a shoebox, drop in three related toys, and join the child’s story for 15 minutes. No extra staff, no tech cost. Track pretend level each week; you should see a leap within a month. If progress stalls, run a quick sensory screen like Eggleston et al. (2018) and swap materials that feel safer to the child.