Influencing leisure choices of autisticlike children.

The researcher worked with three children who acted like kids with autism. Each child got three kinds of leisure sessions. In one session the child could pick any toy. In another session the child earned tokens for playing. In the third session the adult gave a quick prompt to try a toy for two minutes and then praised any play. The sessions rotated so the team could see which method worked best.

Prompt plus praise won. The children touched and used low-interest toys far more when the adult first said, 'Play with this for two minutes,' and then praised any small interaction. Free choice and tokens alone did not lift play. The effect showed up right away and stayed strong across days.

Carr et al. (1985) looks like a contradiction. They also used operant training to boost toy play but saw almost no gain in profoundly delayed children. The difference is severity: Hawkins (1982) worked with autistic-like children who still had some play skills, while G et al. worked with profoundly handicapped children who had almost none. Same goal, harder population, weaker result.

Osnes et al. (1986) extends the idea. They kept the play target but swapped social praise for toys that buzzed, lit up, or played music. The built-in sensory reward worked for the profound group where plain prompting had failed.

Luckett et al. (2007) later summed up dozens of play studies and agreed: pair the method to the child. Prompt and praise works for kids who can already do simple play; sensory toys or peer mediation may be needed for those who cannot.

You can use this prompt-and-praise package tomorrow. When a child keeps picking the same toy, show a new one, say, 'Let’s try this for two minutes,' and praise any touch or look. After the brief trial, let the child choose freely. This tiny routine can widen leisure interests without tokens or extra gear. It is fast, parent-friendly, and builds on what you already do best: clear instruction and warm feedback.