PLAY AND AUTISM DURING A PANDEMIC: AUSTRALIAN PARENTS' PERSPECTIVES.

Children learn, communicate, and connect with others through play. This study investigated how the 'Stay at Home' public health directives impacted the play of autistic children and is supported by research indicating how play is vital for child development. In addition, autistic children may have challenges in their play development that typically require therapeutic intervention, and environmental and social changes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, add further stress. Parents of autistic children aged 18 months to five years and residing in Australia during 2020 participated in an online survey. As a sub-sample from a larger survey, responses from 27 participants who completed COVID-19 specific, open-ended questions, were analysed using qualitative reflexive thematic analysis. Survey responses showed how parents managed the COVID-19 circumstances through self-initiated efforts to be actively involved and create play opportunities for their children. This highlights the importance of parent involvement in interventions and several target areas to consider in supporting play development in autistic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]