Study involving soft play sheds light on language development of autistic kids
Date: 25/02/2010 / Category: Indoor play for disability schools and groups
Sensitive parenting is more important in aiding the language development of children with autism than for those without the condition, a study has shown.
Researchers from the University of Miami discovered through a study involving soft play and coloured rings that maternal sensitivity, which includes a responsiveness to the child's needs, was more predictive of language development among kids with autism than among children who did not go on to be diagnosed.
"We know that parenting doesn't cause autism. The message here is that parents can make a difference in helping their children fight against autism," said Jason Baker, a postdoctoral fellow at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, who conducted the study.
The study, called A Pilot Study of Maternal Sensitivity in the Context of Emergent Autism, will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Earlier this month, the Independent reported that a special school for children with autism spectrum disorders is to undergo an £8 million redevelopment, including the addition of a soft play room.
Posted by Lynne Woods
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