Exploration of Play Behaviors of Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children as Perceived by College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate if senior college students were able to identify the atypical play behaviors demonstrated by preschool students with autism. The children used for this study consisted of five male preschool-aged children. Three of the five were diagnosed with autism and range represented of the mild to high severity. The next participants that were used for this study consisted of 15 female senior college students at the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. Of the 15 students, five were Communication Sciences and Disorders majors, five were education minors, and the remaining five were students who had not taken classes CSD 141, 145, and EDUC 200 at the College of Wooster. Overall, this study found major conclusions for each of the majors and their ability to accurately or inaccurately rate the play behaviors of typically and atypically developing children. The results of this study lend to support the importance of the integration of play in classrooms for children with autism. Knowing the atypical play behaviors of children with autism at an early age, will help for students to be more effective in facilitating social and communication skills in their field placements and/or clinical settings