THE ROLE OF A GAME IN DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD WITH AUTISM

Early childhood autism was first described in the 1940s. Kanner and Asperger, who worked independently of each other, noticed atypical behaviours in children, which could not be clearly attributed to any of the nosologic categories known at their time. These behaviours referred to communication, social interactions, and to schematic, stereotypical activities. Many experts are working to understand the way in which autistic children function, how they perceive themselves, other people, and the surrounding world. This often provides grounds for therapies whose aim number one should be to give the child an opportunity to develop correctly. Play is a natural activity and need of the child and it is also the main development driver. It not only helps the child to come to terms with its emotions but also helps it to handle difficult situations. Play is often described as "the childhood profession." It is a source of many skills which are extremely important in the development of every child. Apart from being a form of expression, play is also a way of satisfying the natural cognitive and creative curiosity of the child. It is an inborn curiosity and activity which not only initiates but also supports the changes which take place at various levels of the child's mental organisation. This paper discusses the question of development and the role of play in children with autism. Because of the specific way in which autistic children are functioning, the author also points to the right selection of games, the ways in which they should be conducted, and to the arrangement of the place and space in which these games are going on.