Exploring the Assumptions Shaping Autistic Children’s Play Research in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21987744Keywords:
Autistic children, Early childhood education, Deficit framing, Neurodiversity, Play-based learningAbstract
Play is foundational to learning and development in the early years, yet the assumptions shaping how autistic children’s play is researched have received limited critical attention. Most empirical studies measure autistic play against neurotypical standards, treating difference as deficit before a single outcome has been collected. This systematic review examines how solitary, parallel, and pretend play are interpreted in the literature on autistic children in early childhood education, and what assumptions about autistic development underpin those interpretations. Guided by the neurodiversity paradigm and Milton’s (2012) double empathy problem, the review adopted a theory informed design. Searches across ERIC, PsycINFO, and Scopus identified six eligible empirical studies, synthesised narratively. Deficit framing was analysed across five dimensions: language, intervention aim, measurement standard, theoretical orientation, and child positioning. Two consistent findings emerged. First, pretend play functioned as a participation-focused intervention context, with autistic children positioned as subjects to be moved toward neurotypical social behaviour. Second, solitary and parallel play were consistently positioned as behaviours requiring redirection toward more socially complex forms, with limited consideration of their potential developmental functions. Self-regulation was absent from all outcome measures, and engagement with neurodiversity-affirming frameworks was absent across all analytical dimensions. The findings also revealed an unacknowledged pattern: solitary and parallel play appeared to function as enabling conditions for participation rather than obstacles to it. The peer ecology, not the play form, emerged as the primary driver of pretend play outcomes. The review concludes that deficit assumptions are embedded in measurement design, not merely in language. Future research should prioritise regulatory outcomes, autistic-referenced measures, and the inclusion of autistic children’s own perspectives.
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