The link between praxis and play in children with autism spectrum disorder

Uvod: Igra je pomembna za otrokov razvoj, saj spodbuja aktivno sodelovanje in raziskovanje v okolju. Med igro otroci krepijo motorične, kognitivne, socialnointerakcijske ter senzorne spretnosti. Veščine igre pa so v medsebojnem odnosu s posnemanjem in praksijo. Namen: Predstaviti želimo pomen igre pri otrocih s spektroavtistično motnjo ter izpostaviti pomen praksije pri otrocih za vključevanje v igro. Metode dela: V diplomskem delu smo uporabili kvantitativno metodo raziskovanja. Kot merski instrument smo uporabili anketni vprašalnik. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 39 staršev otrok s spektroavtistično motnjo, starih od 3 do 6 let in 11 mesecev. Pridobljene podatke smo obdelali in analizirali ter jih slikovno prikazali. Rezultati: Ugotovili smo, da je 51 % otrok s spektroavtistično motnjo delno motiviranih za igro in za igro potrebujejo spodbudo s staršev. Raziskali smo, kako pogosta so določena vedenja pri igri otrok, in ugotovili, da se 54 % otrok pogosto igra iste igre, 36 % otrok pogosto potrebuje več časa, da se nauči določeno gibalno aktivnost, 28 % otrok pa ima težave pri posnemanju gibanja. Starši navajajo tudi težave, ki se kažejo pri zapenjanju in zavezovanju (33 %), pri uporabi predmetov skladno z njihovim namenom (51 %) ter spuščanju oziroma zamenjavi korakov pri vsakdanjih aktivnostih (28 %). Razprava in zaključek: Igra je aktivnost, ki je spontana, prostovoljna in notranje motivirana, predvsem pa prijetna za otroka. Za otroke s spektroavtistično motnjo sta značilna ponavljajoče se vedenje in omejeno zanimanje, kar se pogosto odraža tudi v njihovi igri. Ti primarni primanjkljaji močno vplivajo na otrokovo sposobnost vključevanja v namenske aktivnosti in so povezani tudi s primanjkljaji na področju senzorne obdelave, posnemanja, motoričnega načrtovanja in praksije. Otroci s spektroavtistično motnjo s težavami pri praksiji se redkeje vključujejo v bolj kompleksne igre in so v manjši meri motivirani za igro kot otroci, ki nimajo težav. Otroci z dispraksijo imajo težave na področju fine in grobe motorike, koordinacije, manipulacije, na področju izvajanja zaporednih dejanj, sposobnosti posnemanja, pri povezovanju zaporedja gibov ali dejanj ter pri povezovanju končnega rezultata nekega dejanja. Veščine igre, posnemanja in praksije se izboljšajo s pristopom senzorne integracije, ki ga delovni terapevti uporabljajo pri delu z otroki.Introduction: Play is an important part of child development as it encourages active participation and exploration of the environment. Through play, children improve their motor skills, as well as cognitive and social interaction skills, while the skill of play is interrelated with imitation and praxis. Purpose: The goal is to present the purpose of play for children with autism spectrum disorder and emphasise the importance of praxis for children’s participation in play. Methods: The final thesis is based on the quantitative research method, with the chosen measurement tool being a questionnaire. 39 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (aged from 3 to 6 years and 11 months) participated in the study. The collected data was processed, analysed and translated into a visual context. Results: The results show that 51% of children with autism spectrum disorder are partially motivated for play and require their parents’ encouragement to engage in play. When researching how often certain behaviours occur during play, we found that 54% of children often choose the same play activities, 36% often need more time to learn a certain physical activity, and 28% struggle with movement imitation. The parents also expressed that their children experience difficulties with using buttons and tying shoe laces (33%), using objects according to their intended function (51%), and skipping or switching steps in daily activities (28%). Discussion and conclusion: Play is a spontaneous, voluntary and internally motivated activity that is above all pleasant for a child. Children with autism spectrum disorder typically display repetitive behavioural patterns and limited interest, which is often reflected during play. These primary deficits affect the child’s ability to participate in purposeful activities, and are connected to deficits in other areas, namely sensory processing, imitation, motor planning and praxis. Children with autism spectrum disorder who struggle with praxis participate less in complex play and are less motivated to play than children, who do not have those issues. Children with dyspraxia face issues when it comes to fine and gross motor skills, coordination, manipulation, execution of consecutive actions, the ability to imitate, connecting sequences of movements or actions, and understanding the connection between an action and a final result. The skills of play, imitation and praxis improve with sensory integration, which is an approach occupational therapists typically use when working with children