Language Play in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Implications for Practice

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to present evidence for the use of language play by children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) within the context of play with peers. A conceptual framework for the development of language play is described. This framework, which is supported by the literature on language play in typically developing children, is used to assess patterns of language play in children with ASD. The findings of a descriptive study are used to provide evidence for language play in the speech of children with ASD during interactions with typical peers and show that children with ASD use language play in a similar way as their typically developing peers with the exception of age of occurrence. Implications for clinicians in their work with children with ASD are discussed as they relate to the existence of language play in children with ASD and the function of language play as a tool for language learning.

KEYWORDS

Language play - autism spectrum disorders (ASD) - children - language development

REFERENCES

• 1 Cook G. Language Play, Language Learning. New York, NY; Oxford University Press 2000
• 2 Crystal D. Language play and linguistic intervention.  Child Lang Teach Ther. 1996;  12 328-344
• 3 Esposito A. Children's play with language.  Child Study J. 1980;  10 207-217
• 4 Schwartz J. Children's experiments with language.  Young Children. 1981;  July 16-26
• 5 Weir R. Playing with language. In: Bruner J, Jolly A, Sylva K Play-Its Role in Development and Evolution. New York, NY; Basic Books 1976: 609-618
• 6 Garvey C. Play with language and speech. In: Mitchell-Kernan C, Ervin S Child Discourse. New York, NY; Academic Press 1977: 123-137
• 7 Kirshenblatt-Gimblett B, Sherzer J. Introduction. In: Kirshenblatt-Gimblett B Speech Play: Research and Resources for the Study of Linguistic Creativity. Philadelphia, PA; University of Pennsylvania Press 1976: 221
• 8 Ely R, McCabe A. The language play of kindergarten children.  First Lang. 1994;  14 19-35
• 9 Becker J. ‘Sneak-shoes', ‘sworders' and ‘nose-beards': a case study of lexical innovation.  First Lang. 1994;  14 195-211
• 10 Dennis M, Lazenby A L, Lockyer L. Inferential language in high-function children with autism.  J Autism Dev Disord. 2001;  31 47-66
• 11 Tager-Flusberg H. Strategies for conducting research on language in autism.  J Autism Dev Disord. 2004;  34 75-80
• 12 Wolfberg P. Play and Imagination in Children with Autism. New York, NY; Teachers College Press 1999
• 13 Corbett E. Discovering the “language play” of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) [master's thesis]. Burlington, VT; University of Vermont 2005
• 14 Cazden C. Play with language and meta-linguistic awareness. In: Bruner J, Jolly A, Sylva K Play-Its Role in Development and Evolution. New York, NY; Basic Books 1976: 603-608
• 15 Chukovsky K. The sense of nonsense verse. In: Bruner J, Jolly A, Sylva K Play-Its Role in Development and Evolution. New York, NY; Basic Books 1976: 596-602
• 16 Schwartz J. Metalinguistic awareness: a study of verbal play in young children. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association April 4-8, 1977 New York, NY;
• 17 American Psychiatric Association .Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC; American Psychiatric Association 1994: 65-71
• 18 American Psychiatric Association .Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed-text revision (TR). Washington, DC; American Psychiatric Association 2000: 69-84
• 19 Wetherby A, Prizant B, Schuler A. Understanding the nature of communication and language impairments. In: Wetherby A, Prizant B Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Transactional Developmental Perspective. Baltimore, MD; Paul H Brookes 2000: 109-142
• 20 Mitchell LS Another Here and Now Story Book. New York, NY; EP Dutton 1937: 1-25
• 21 Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Joint attention, cultural learning and language acquisition. In: Wetherby A, Prizant B Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Transactional Developmental Perspective. Baltimore, MD; Paul H Brookes 2000: 31-54
• 22 Craig J, Baron-Cohen S. Creativity and imagination in autism and Asperger syndrome.  J Autism Dev Disord. 1999;  29 319-326
• 23 Reddy V, Williams E, Vaughan A. Sharing humour and laughter in autism and Down's syndrome.  Br J Psychol. 2002;  93 219-242
• 24 Werth A, Perkins M, Boucher J. ‘Here's the weavery looming up': verbal humour in a woman with high-functioning autism.  Autism. 2001;  5 111-125