Abstract
The view of a triad of impairments [(Wing and Gould (1979). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 11–30] in which impaired imagination is linked with repetitive behaviour is widely accepted. However this categorisation differs from the international classification systems, which link imagination to communication impairments rather than to repetitive behaviours. To investigate this relationship, the Activities and Play Questionnaire-Revised was completed by 196 parents of 2–8-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typical development. Results showed that repetitive behaviours were associated with play in ASD but not in typical development, supporting Wing and Gould’s triad. However there was also an association between play, repetitive behaviour and language, confirming the international classification systems description of imagination as a component of language and communication difficulties.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by an ESRC +3 studentship. We would like to thank the schools, groups and parents that supported the research. Also we thank Dr Lorna Wing for permission to adapt items from the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders for use in the Activities and Play Questionnaire. We also acknowledge the contribution of Lisa Gallimore toward the first version of the Activities and Play Questionnaire.
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Honey, E., Leekam, S., Turner, M. et al. Repetitive Behaviour and Play in Typically Developing Children and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 1107–1115 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0253-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0253-4