The Role of Play in Developing Social Skills Among Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Palestine

Previous studies have shown that play has a positive effect on social skill acquisition among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Accordingly, this study aims at examining the effect of play in developing social skills among a small group of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Palestine. The sample of this study consisted of seven children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages (6–10) years old. All of them are receive rehabilitation services at the Palestinian Institute for Childhood in Palestine. The children were chosen for the intervention from verbal children who previously diagnosed with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Autism Social Skills Profile was used to measure improvement in the children’s social skills. Parents and teachers provided the information for the measurement. The overall social functioning of participating children improved after applying the play-based program compared to the period before the intervention. Social skills in both subscales-including social reciprocity and participation/avoidance increased. Palestinian children diagnosed with ASD showed significant improvements after an intervention using structured play on the total measure of social functioning. It is recommended to train teachers and guide parents to increase play techniques to improving social skills in this population.