The consequences of visual impairment for children's symbolic and functional play

Children with visual impairments are reported to be delayed in producing pretend play in naturalistic settings. This study examined the play of 18 children with visual impairments aged between 21 and 86 months on two structured tests of play. Appropriate functional play with miniature versions of everyday objects was distinguished from symbolic play involving substituting one object for another, pretending something has a property it does not have, or referring to something as if it were present. As a group, the children showed impaired functional and symbolic play. However, four children met the diagnostic criteria for autism and engaged in little or no play. When these children were excluded, the remaining children had lower functional play test scores than expected for their chronological age, but symbolic play test scores which were at the appropriate level for their chronological age. The functional and symbolic play of children with no vision or only light perception did not differ significantly from children with some vision. The production of symbolic play was strongly related to language ability, although functional play was not related to language ability. It is argued that children with visual impairment, but no behaviours characteristic of autism, can develop the ability to play both functionally and symbolically, but that lack of visual access to play materials may limit their ability to demonstrate these skills.