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The Crucial Role of Play and Catch-Ups in Developing Social Skills

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How far they have travelled, the inaugural Making Connections Dungeons and Dragons group. At the beginning of this adventure into the Dungeons and Dragons game, the five boys did not know each other, the game or the social conventions and nuances that combine to make role-playing games such a popular social activity for so many in the world. One year later and after four adventures with one over-arching story it is clear for me to see just what a fantastic vehicle role-playing table-top games can be for young people. Shy boys in the group now speak up, make jokes, bring snacks to share and engage comfortably - these are the very same people who started withdrawn, unsure, uneasy. Extraverts in the group have grown to now take turns, to hold back on being the first opinion out of the gate, to apologise “sorry, you go first.” They refine and sharpen their jokes, often leaving us all of us in tears of laughter each session. For another group member, the weekly social event is more than being able to access a safe social space to be himself. Over time he has come to realise that it is his maturity and levity that brings social cohesion to the group, and just how much his peers value him and his contribution. “Oh, thank goodness you've come, we were all worried we were in deep trouble if you didn’t show today. We need you to keep us together!” came a comment from one fellow last session, with affirmative nods from others. Before we started our “big finale” in the last session, one member of the group proposed an outing over the holidays to see the Dungeons and Dragons movie together. This invitation was met with easy and welcoming acceptance from every member of the group, eager to spend time together outside of the weekly session. I believe the get-together went ahead earlier this week and can't wait to hear from the crew when they return next term. The shared joy of the jokes, the “ah-ha” moments as they connect the dots to the mysteries and key story points at hand and the way they have come together as a group has been nothing short of an honour for me, their DM (Dungeon Master) to witness. by Dan Bailey Group Facilitator & Dungeon Master 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: For those interested, here is a link to a recent report highlighting findings from a collaborative study on the potential benefits of tabletop role-playing games as tools for supporting youth social-emotional skill development. https://www.foundry10.org/research/how-youth-can-build-social-and-emotional-skills-with-tabletop-role-playing-games

First of all, it’s important to recognise that there are different forms of play , such as exploratory play, cause-and-effect play, toy play, constructive play, physical play and pretend play. Here we’re discussing pretend play , which is different from structured play. Pretend play is typically child-led and tends to have few rules or expectations . Pretend play can be interchangeable between dramatic play, fantasy play or make believe. Children often mimic or act out their favourite characters and scenarios, real or imagined (e.g. a teacher/classroom or Marvel Hero/epic battle). Needless to say, pretend play can prove difficult for children who have trouble with social interactions and who like predictability and rules. For children with autism, their play might look a little different, but that does not mean it’s less. For example, they may mimic what they have seen play out in their day in a literal sense, they might organise their toys because they like the visual structure or to feel a sense of control and stability, or they might be limited to play that involves their special interest. For children with autism, their method of pretend play may be their way of processing social interactions or a coping mechanism where they escape to a safe and enjoyable world after a long day of confusing social interactions. It can also be a way to connect with other children who share similar interests and similar ways of communicating and playing. Autistic play is still very much valid and it is most likely serving a vital service in your child’s life. However, this does not mean that children on the autism spectrum can’t and shouldn’t learn other forms of play. We know that children with autism socialise less for a range of reasons, which means they have fewer opportunities to engage in play with their peers, and consequently, less opportunities to practise social interaction skills. It is undeniable that play is essential to the social, emotional and psychological development of all children, yet is something that often eludes children on the autism spectrum. This is why supported group-based play opportunities for children on the autism spectrum are so important, including pretend play. Pretend play is known to develop social interaction skills where children experiment with social boundaries and social communication , develop emotional skills where they are often caring for another person or character, Theory of Mind skills where the they are putting themselves in the shoes of others or getting feedback about the impact of their actions on others, and of course language skills as they describe and narrate what is happening. One interesting study where autistic adults taught play skills to autistic children also found that pretend play increased social motivation and engagement and improved peer-to-peer rapport, also known as friendship .  When young people are supported to engage in pretend play with their peers, improvements in social interaction skills are well documented. This is because children can practise and develop language and social skills in authentic contexts simply by being, playing and talking with other children. However, it’s important to remember that these social interaction skills may not come easily to neurodivergent children, so pretend play also provides opportunities for a supportive adult to provide in-situ social coaching. If you would like some ideas to support your child’s pretend play please click these links: https://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Encouraging-Pretend-Play-in-Children-with-Autism.aspx https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/school-play-work/play-learning/play-asd#pretend-play-nav-title https://www.speciallearninghouse.com/pretend-play-ideas-autism/ References Kaufman, B. (2013). The need for pretend play in child development. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-need-for-pretend-play-in-child-development/ Raising Children Network. (2023). Play and autistic children. https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/school-play-work/play-learning/play-asd Shireman et al. (2019). Teaching social play skills to adults and children with autism as an approach to building rapport. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26990643/ Sussman. F. (2013). The relationship between pretend play and theory of mind in typical children and children with asd. https://www.hanen.org/siteassets/helpful-info/articles/pretend-play.aspx

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A Day in the Life of our Teen Dungeons & Dragons Group by Dan Bailey - AKA 'Dungeon Master'