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PLAYING with an imaginary companion (IC) helps children learn essential social skills such as empathy with other people. It is often believed that autistic youngsters are incapable of creating pretend play pals - a further hindrance to their development of emotional understanding.
But now a project headed by a University of Huddersfield researcher confirms that children diagnosed with autism are able to create and play with ICs. Further research is to be conducted and could eventually help to develop new therapies.
The current findings - based on data collected in the USA and the UK - are reported in a new article for which the lead author is Dr Paige Davis, who lectures in psychology at the University of Huddersfield. Imaginary companions are one of her key specialities.
The research described in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders by Dr Davis and her three co-authors is based on evidence gathered from 215 questionnaires completed by approximately equal numbers of parents of children with typical development (TD) and of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
The findings do indicate that fewer children with ASD create an imaginary companion - 16.2 per cent as opposed to 42 per cent of TD youngsters. Also children with autism began playing with their ICs at a significantly later age and were proportionately more likely to play with a "personified object" such as a stuffed toy or doll.
Read more here. (EurekAlert)
But now a project headed by a University of Huddersfield researcher confirms that children diagnosed with autism are able to create and play with ICs. Further research is to be conducted and could eventually help to develop new therapies.
The current findings - based on data collected in the USA and the UK - are reported in a new article for which the lead author is Dr Paige Davis, who lectures in psychology at the University of Huddersfield. Imaginary companions are one of her key specialities.
The research described in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders by Dr Davis and her three co-authors is based on evidence gathered from 215 questionnaires completed by approximately equal numbers of parents of children with typical development (TD) and of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
The findings do indicate that fewer children with ASD create an imaginary companion - 16.2 per cent as opposed to 42 per cent of TD youngsters. Also children with autism began playing with their ICs at a significantly later age and were proportionately more likely to play with a "personified object" such as a stuffed toy or doll.
Read more here. (EurekAlert)