Chapter Seven
Play in Special Populations
Children with Visual Impairments
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Children with limited vision engage in greater
amounts of solitary play
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severe limitations: 56% of play time alone
partial limitations: 33 % of play time alone
sighted children: 14% of play time alone
Children with limited vision are:
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less imaginative in fantasy play
less likely to manipulate and explore the physical
environment
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Children with Language Impairment
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There is relationship between language
deficits and deficits in symbolic play
Children with language deficits
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are likely to receive a negative reaction from
peers, and this may lead to
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Aggressive behavior
Withdrawal
tend to be less capable of handling peer conflict
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Children with Hearing Difficulties
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Engage in lesser amounts of cooperative
make-believe play
Are less likely to make symbolic use of
objects
Engage in more sophisticated play when with
children with and without hearing
impairments
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Children with Intellectual Deficits
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Focus on physical rather than representational
characteristics of objects
Engage in much non-specific handling of objects
Have difficulty sustaining interest in toys
Engage in much repetitive play
Are less likely to combine toys in play, less goaloriented, more passive
Appear to derive less pleasure from toys
Engage in symbolic play later than typical children
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Children with Autism
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Autism is
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a neurologically-based emotional disorder
affects 34 in every 10,000 children,
Its symptoms are
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impairments in social interaction and
communication skills
restrictive, repetitive, stereotyped behavior
patterns, activities, and interests
Lack of a “theory of mind”
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Theory of Mind
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It is the ability to
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Impute mental states to the self and other people
Recognize that there may be a difference between
a person’s feelings, thoughts and beliefs about
reality and reality itself
Understand that there is a motivation behind
human behavior
It emerges between the ages of 3 and 5
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Victims of Child Abuse
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Engage in less overall play
Are less involved in group and parallel play
Use play materials in less imaginative and more
stereotyped ways
Show more imitative and less creative fantasy
themes
Are less skilled at initiating interactions with peers
and maintaining self-control in play
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Hospital Play Programs
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The type of program depends on:
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The Degree of Institutional Support
The Educational Background of the Staff
The Primary Intended Beneficiary
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Degree of Institutional Support
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Do hospital administrators see play as a
necessary component of a child's life?
Are they willing to staff a play program with
regular employees, to provide adequate space,
and to purchase the necessary play materials?
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
The Educational Background of the
Staff
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Are staff members familiar with basic principles of
child development?
Are they knowledgeable about the physical,
intellectual, social, and emotional benefits of play?
Do they know how to foster and support play, or is
their training almost completely in the area of
medical procedure?
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
The Primary Intended Beneficiary
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It may appear obvious that play programs are
designed to benefit hospitalized children.
However, play is often used less to promote
the optimal development of the child than it is
to make life easier for the staff.
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Types of Hospital Play Programs
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Diversionary Programs
Activity/Recreation Programs
Therapeutic Programs
Child Development Programs
Comprehensive/Child Life
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Necessary Conditions for Hospital
Play
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A child-oriented atmosphere
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The children's ward should be warm and inviting, decorated
with colorful mobiles, pictures, and wall paintings, and
containing a variety of toys and play materials
A separate playroom should be made available, a place to
which children will want to come, and which they will see
as a point halfway between the hospital and the home. The
playroom should be a sanctuary for children, in that no
medical procedures can be performed there.
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Necessary Conditions for Hospital
Play
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Appropriate Play Materials
 familiar to the child so that the psychological distance between home
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and hospital is minimized
characterized by a high degree of diversity, in order to be suitable for
children who vary in their developmental levels and their interests
include toys that are medically-oriented - stethoscopes, syringes,
bandages, blood pressure kits, nurse and doctor costumes, toy
ambulances, and an assortment of dolls and puppets who can be
assigned to the various roles in a hospital drama
include children, medical staff, and parents all involved together in a
dramatic play experience
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations
Necessary Conditions for Hospital
Play
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A Warm, Accepting Supervisor
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An adult who is warm, accepting, permissive, and
consistent
A consistent figure promotes the development of
attachment between caretaker and child, and reduces the
child's sense of separation from parents
Children, Play, and Development, Fourth Edition
Chapter 7: Play in Special Populations