UCLA

Background: Children with ASD frequently display deficits in pragmatic language skills and social communication. Research on early skills that are associated with later conversation skills in children with ASD may inform targets for early intervention. Methods: This longitudinal study includes 23 children with ASD. At ages 3-4, play skills and joint attention skills were assessed. At age 8-9, children were given a conversation quality rating from ADOS, Module 3 interviews and interviews were coded for pragmatic skills using the Yale Adaptation of the Pragmatic Rating Scale (Y-PRS). Results: Analyses revealed significant associations between symbolic play type (p = .387) and frequency (p = .388). Other play skills and early social communication variables were non-significant. Conclusions: Symbolic play skills represent flexibility in play skills. The flexibility in play may allow children to further develop their representational, and social conversational abilities through multiple interactions with adults and peers.