Pamela J. Wolfberg: Play and Imagination in Children with Autism (2nd ed.)

In the words of Wolfberg herself, “Paucity of play is a distinct characteristic of autism, one not easily disentangled from social, cognitive, and effective aspects of the disorder”. In many ways Play & Imagination in Children with Autism, Second Edition, by Pamela J. Wolfberg, is an interesting book. It focuses on merging theory and practice through the use of the integrated play group model. “Integrated Play Groups” model is a method of teaching play skills to autistic children. Wolfberg bases her insights on personal studies she conducted over a period of time. Children with autism tend to have difficulty coordinating play initiations without guidance. This model is designed to facilitate the development of play and social groups for children with autism. The pivotal role that play skills hold in the social and linguistic world of the child with autism has been very sensitively brought out through the pages of the book. The book based on an award winning research sheds new light on theory and practice, examining the complex problems children with autism face in social interaction, communication and imagination. …