Recreational participation of children with High Functioning Autism.
Kids with HFA enjoy play as much as peers but sample fewer games in lonelier places—so teach how to join, not how to like.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Potvin et al. (2013) asked how kids with high-functioning autism play.
They compared recreation habits of children with HFA to same-age peers.
Parents filled out surveys about where, how often, and with whom their kids played.
What they found
Kids with HFA joined fewer types of play and played in fewer social spots.
Yet they liked the games just as much and worked just as hard.
Enjoyment and effort were the same; only variety and company differed.
How this fits with other research
Miltenberger et al. (2013) saw the same split the same year.
Their wrist sensors showed equal running and jumping, but parents again listed fewer sports.
Pan (2008) seems to disagree: recess kids with ASD moved far less than peers.
The gap closes when you look at intensity versus variety.
Marie-Christine and G counted types of play, while Chien-Yu counted minutes of fast movement.
Cox et al. (2015) explain why variety stays low: parents fear bullying and lack autism-aware programs.
Why it matters
Do not waste time trying to spark interest; these kids already like games.
Spend your energy widening the menu and adding peers.
Pick one new inclusive club each month and rehearse entry skills before the first visit.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The recreation of children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) is not well understood. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the recreational engagement of children with HFA and their typically developing peers. Children with HFA (n = 30) and peers (n = 31) were similar on key characteristics that may impact recreation except those related to the HFA attributes. Children with HFA differed from peers in terms of diversity (p = .002), social aspects (p = .006) and locations (p < .001) of recreation. The two groups were not statistically different in personal intensity (p = .684), enjoyment (p = .239) or preferences (p = .788) of recreation. A recreational profile was developed to benefit parents and clinicians in supporting the recreation of these children.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1589-6