Impact of Play Therapy as a Recreational Therapy on Developmental Outcomes for Kids Diagnosed with Autism

Final Project: Comprehensive Literature Review – The Impact of Play Therapy as a Recreational Therapy on Developmental Outcomes for Kids Diagnosed with Autism

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

The Impact of Play Therapy as a Recreational Therapy on Developmental Outcomes for Kids Diagnosed with Autism

Play therapy is one of the most promising and dynamic developmental interventions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is increasingly vital to conduct a literature review to delineate the relationship between recreational play therapy and the developmental issues of children who have ASD. Play and therapy are complexly interrelated, enhancing this group's socialization, thinking capacity, and physical activities. This is why comprehensive research on play therapy as an intervention for autistic children is increasingly vital. As a result, knowledge synthesis is critical since play therapy has gained popularity among practitioners and educators. This review focuses on 12 peer-reviewed articles that have looked at various aspects of play treatment for children diagnosed with ASD. These studies must meet the relevancy criteria to recreational therapy, developmental outcomes, and research design standards. The review intentionally omitted some studies because they did not fall into recreational therapy or lack qualitative or quantitative designs. This research theme investigates play therapies vis-à-vis social competence, motor abilities, and therapist and parent encounters. By conducting this literature review, extant evidence-based knowledge about play therapy for autistic children will be clarified while identifying methodological strengths and limitations. This is increasingly crucial for guiding future research in this area.

Background

Conventional treatments for ASD have become more interactive and personalized (Anu et al., 2019). In children, ASD leads to complex functional impairments due to problems with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. The therapeutic community has sought creative approaches to meet these children's particular requirements, with play therapy showing promise. However, even though the previous therapies were well-intentioned, they primarily relied on regimented, didactic techniques that rarely made autistic kids interested in participating. Unlike traditional methods, play therapy employs funny activities as curative options. This change is because youngsters communicate and express themselves through play (Uzun & Yilmaz, 2020). The flexibility of play therapy matches the dynamic needs of autistic children.

Play therapy for autism is based on the notion that play facilitates emotional, social, and cognitive development. According to Anu et al. (2019), pretend games are essential in improving social skills among ASD children. Pretend play is characterized by imaginative and engaging elements, making it useful for therapy regarding socialization and skill development. The research supports this theory by incorporating teaching strategies into game design for autism education (Alarcon-Licona et al., 2018). Education, as well as play, improve learning and accomplish various goals set forth within autism therapy. Technological advancements have shaped autism play therapy. Augmented Reality can enhance social skills among ASD children (Lorenzo et al., 2018). This new play therapy technology indicates how therapeutic methods can adapt to modern advances. Augmented Reality allows therapists to create immersive and engaging environments for autistic children. In addition, Kamaruddin et al. (2023) investigate traditional games used in therapeutic interventions alongside technological innovations. The study emphasizes that conventional games impact motoric abilities; thus, there is a need to recognize different play therapy modalities. Traditional games provide cultural context and motor skill development necessary for the well-being of autistic children. Parents are involved in play therapy for autism beyond the clinic. Shamsudin (2021) examines child-led play and parents' instruction. Therapeutic therapies involve parents developing a play-based environment that helps their children's development.

Problem Statement

This literature review addresses the ongoing difficulty of achieving optimal developmental outcomes for children with ASD. A neurological disorder, autism causes social challenges, communication issues, and repetitive activities. When neglected, these issues can negatively impact ASD children's well-being and functioning. Structured and didactic therapies have often failed to engage and meet the demands of this demographic. ASD children may have repetitive behaviors, social difficulties, and nonverbal communication issues. If not handled, these issues might lead to negative social interactions as kids grow, impeding community inclusion. Existing research lacks evidence that standard therapies can fully address these functional impairments. This literature review critically analyzes and synthesizes studies on play therapy as a recreational therapy for autistic children. Explore how play therapy, which is engaging and child-centered, can improve ASD children's cognitive, social, physical, self-care, emotional, and mental abilities. This literature review asks: How does play therapy affect the development of children with autism?

The study examines play therapy's effectiveness in addressing ASD children's complex issues to fill the research gap. The authors of the evaluated studies did not clearly state a research topic. However, their goal was to examine how therapeutic recreational activity, primarily play therapy, affects behavioral outcomes for autistic children. The semi-structured interviews with therapist trainers revealed their viewpoints on play therapy for ASD youngsters. Counselors have a deeper grasp of play therapy's ability to improve autistic children's functional skills from the research study. This evaluation can help counselors use play therapy to improve children's physical, muscular, emotional,