Adaptive Play

Developmental Delays

For children with developmental delays, the experience of play is different and sometimes even nonexistent. Because of lack of appropriate play materials and opportunities, these children are at an increased risk for additional secondary delays. Adaptive play serves as the window that enables children with developmental delays to have greater independence and more active involvement in play. Within adaptive play, various types of assistive devices permit these children to move in their environments, speak and communicate with others, and participate in developmentally appropriate activities that otherwise might not be possible.

The play characteristics of children with developmental delays vary and depend on their specific physical, sensory, or cognitive condition. Depending on the disability, some children may not have the same access to play as children without disabilities; therefore, their play may be more contrived and have less inner direction than the play of other children. Children with more severe disabilities may have increased limitations, resulting in less access to play and less ability to play. For example, the play characteristics of children with physical limitations may include fear of movement, decreased active play, and preference for sedentary activities. These children may also have problems with manipulating toys and show decreased exploration.

Children with cognitive impairment often show delayed or uneven skills, difficulty in structuring their own behavior, or lack of sustained attention. They may have a preference for structured play materials, limited or inflexible play repertoires, decreased curiosity, destructive or inappropriate use of objects, decreased imagination and symbolic play, and decreased social interactive communication.

The play of children with autism is characterized by the lack of inner expressive language, stereotyped movements and/or types of play, decreased imitation [Page 8]and imagination, lack of variety in play repertoires, and decreased play organization, manipulation of toys, and social play. The child with a visual impairment may be not only delayed in exploratory and sensory motor play but also more delayed in imaginative and symbolic play. All these limitations affect skill acquisition and potential for developing play skills through experience and interaction with other children. They result in frustration, unsuccessful experiences, and ultimately, learned helplessness. It is important to be aware of the problems that certain conditions impose on the child, and yet in actual practice, each child must always be considered individually.

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