Pretend play of children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Evaluate self-initiated pretend play of children with cerebral palsy. METHOD: Twenty preschool children participated in the study. Pretend play ability was measured by using the child-initiated pretend play assessment culturally adapted to Brazil. RESULTS: There were significant negative correlations between the children's motor severity level and their elaborateness of play with conventional-imaginative and symbolic play materials and a number of object substitutions in symbolic play. This indicated that children with greater motor limitations had diminished play ability. In this sample, 35% of the children showed typical play styles, identified by good scores in elaborate pretend play actions, number of object substitutions, and ability to self-initiate play, whereas 65% showed delay in their play. IMPLICATIONS: The type of pretend play deficits that might be expected in children with cerebral palsy were described. Furthermore, suggested directions for therapeutic intervention to enhance pretend play performance in cerebral palsy children were proposed.

Play preference of children with ADHD and typically developing children in Brazil: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been reported to have play deficits, which can cause problems in occupational development. The aim of this paper was to report research findings on children with ADHD and typically developing children in relation to preference of play partners, play places, toys and type of play. METHODS: Thirty-two school aged children from low socioeconomic status were divided into two groups. One group of 16 children with ADHD were matched with 16 typically developing children. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences between the two groups in relation to play partners, with classmates being the most frequent play partner for both groups. There were significant differences between the two groups in preferred place to play. Children with ADHD preferred to play in school and typically developing children preferred to play on the street. There were significant differences in relation to toys and type of play engaged in with children with ADHD preferring educational materials and typically developing children preferring electronic games. These findings add to knowledge of Brazilian children with ADHD and their play preferences. Comparisons are made with research with Australian children with and without ADHD.