Play Interactions of Family Members Towards Children with Autism

The play interactions of family members towards children with autism were examined in the current study. Siblings, mothers, and fathers of nine families of a child with autism were observed in dyadic play interactions with the child. Results revealed that mothers and fathers exhibited more play behaviors towards children with autism than siblings, while the children with autism initiated more interactions towards siblings than towards parents. Vineland scale scores were correlated with parental behaviors and the initiations of children with autism towards parents. Results suggest that parents may compensate for their child's disability level by initiating more play interactions. Implications include teaching parents how to pace play interactions to allow children with autism to initiate play interactions.