Abstract

This study was conducted to examine play development levels and interactional competence in children with Reactive Attachment, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and Developmental Language Disorder. Also, this study compared play levels in the free play situation with it in the elicited play situation and interactional competence in child-mother dyad with it in child-play facilitator dyad in the three groups. Subjects of this research were in total 34, age range from 26 to 57 months. Free play, elicited play, and child-mother play situation were videotaped and the data was rated by two rators independently. Rating for play development level was based on simbolic play development levels proposed by Nicolich(1988) and one level, sensorimotor stage, was added. Rating for interactional competence was based on social interaction part in Early Social-Communication Scale developed by Seibert & Hogan(1982). The data was statistically processed through one-way ANOVA, χ² test, and Sign test. The result from this research read as follow : 1. Play development level in the free play situation was lined up DLD>RAD>PDD and children with RAD showed autosymbolic level which was explained by McCune-Nicolich(1988). 2. Play development levels in children with RAD and DLD were facilitated by play facilitator, however, children with PDD demonstrated the same play level in two different play situations. 3. Interactional competence in child-mother dyad was DLD〉PDD〉RAD. As we expected children with RAD showed the poorest child-mother interaction. 4. Children with RAD responsed to and initiated interaction with play facilitator more, compared with their mother. Reversely children with PDD responsed to and initiated interaction with their mother more, compared with the play facilitator. 5. For social matuarity, children with DLD were the most mature and children with PDD were the most immature in the three groups. There was very significant group difference in scores for CARS. Though the score for CARS in children with RAD was in between children's with PDD and with DLD, the score was close to the criteria for assessing autism.