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A Scoping Review of Playdate Literature with Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Abstract

Children on the autism spectrum experience difficulties with social interactions, often resulting in lower quality of friendships. As such, children with autism often benefit from support with social skills, which are usually delivered in school settings. Social skills are not limited to school settings. Playdates are defined as prearranged gatherings between two children at one of their homes and are fundamental to social emotional development in childhood, providing opportunities for conversation, empathy, and friendship development. In the current scoping review, we analyzed the literature on playdates for children with autism. Twelve studies of varying methodologies qualified. Results indicate that playdates may have several positive effects for children with autism, including increased social engagement at school and reciprocal interactions with peers. Playdate interventions have involved components such as information exchange leading to shared activities, conflict avoidance and resolution, and gameplay. Continued research is needed in this emerging area.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge and respect the different opinions expressed by members of the autistic community regarding the use of person-first (e.g., “children on the autism spectrum” and “children with autism”) and identity-first (e.g., “autistic”) language. A study by Kenny et al. (2016) found that the terms “autism” and “on the autism spectrum” were the terms most favored across different groups of stakeholders, including autistic adults, family members, and professionals. Thus, in this manuscript we focus our use on these two terms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas State University, 301 Moon Street, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA

    Tracy J. Raulston

  2. Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska, 301 Barkley Memorial Center, PO Box 830738, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

    Ciara L. Ousley

  3. Department of Special Education, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5910, DeGarmo 533, Normal, IL, 61790, USA

    Christina Gilhuber

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  1. Tracy J. Raulston
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  3. Christina Gilhuber
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Correspondence to Tracy J. Raulston.

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Raulston, T.J., Ousley, C.L. & Gilhuber, C. A Scoping Review of Playdate Literature with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Early Childhood Educ J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01616-2

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