A review of the evidence supporting play-based learning for children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become more prevalent through more diagnosis, with about 1 in 54 being diagnosed with ASD (Center for Disease Control, 2016). With more children being diagnosed with ASD, more services are needed. Adapted Physical Education (APE) is a direct service provided for children with disabilities, and APE teachers should use proven methods to effectively and efficiently assist these children in their area of need. Play-based learning has proven to help improve many social, communication, social skill engagement and play behaviors in children with ASD so play-based learning should be utilized more within the context of APE so more children can receive these benefits. This systematic review searched Academic Search Premier for articles from 2005-2020 and retrieved 35 articles of children with ASD, aged 0-21, within a variety of group settings, most of which resulted in positive outcomes