Parallel play is a form of play where children learn to play alongside each other without direct interaction. Communication is uncommon in parallel play; instead, socialization and familiarity is created by sharing space.

What is Parallel Play?

By engaging in parallel play, children learn to socialize and cooperate with peers without conflict. It also aids in a child's emotional development and their ability to express their needs to others.

Benefits of parallel play

* References for "Benefits of parallel play"
* References for "Parallel play and the autistic community"

Parallel Play: References

For those in the autistic community, play tends to be impaired, with autistic individuals primarily engaging in solitary play and/or atypical play behaviors. Additionally, autistic individuals may hyperfocus on certain activities or heavily adhere to a game's rules, causing conflict with neurotypical peers due to a lack of shared understanding. Play therapy is often used to help autistic individuals, with emphasis being put on parallel play in order to build social skills without infringing upon the individual's fun from play activities.

Parallel play and the autistic community

* What is parallel play?
* Benefits of parallel play
* Parallel play and the autistic community
* References

Grinnell College

This list includes different theories or concepts that are used to explain, define, or otherwise provide further insight into the workings of autism spectrum and related disorders. These include:
- TBD

Note: There is a separate subsequent node specifically for theories & concepts that are outdated and/or discredited. 

Theories & Concepts Relevant to Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders

Conklin, A. (2021, December 14). Parallel play and the six stages of play development.  https://study.com/learn/lesson/parallel-play.html

Eyc, K. (2016, April 1). The importance of parallel play on speech development. https://www.earlyyearscareers.com/eyc/learning-and-development/importance-parallel-play-speech-development/

Prager, S. (2021, July 8). Why parallel play is important for your toddler’s development. https://www.newfolks.com/inspiration/parallel-play-toddlers/ 

References for "Benefits of parallel play"

Elbeltagi, R., Al-Beltagi, M., Saeed, N. K., & Alhawamdeh, R. (2023). Play therapy in children with autism: Its role, implications, and limitations. World journal of clinical pediatrics, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v12.i1.1

Reference for "Parallel play and the autistic community"

Executive function refers to functions such as planning, working memory, impulse control, inhibition, and mental flexibility. Traditionally, these functions have been tied to the frontal lobe, particularly the prefrontal cortex. Many signs of autism that are observed are related to disrupted executive function, causing repeated behaviors and rigid schedules among other behaviors. Executive Dysfunction seems to be a product of differences in the frontal lobe, caused by injury or neurodevelopmental disorders. It can also contribute to difficulties with emotional/behavioral regulation.

Executive Dysfunction

Discredited

The is the belief that autism is a manifestation of the male brain to an extreme level. This is because the female brain was expected to show high levels of empathy compared to the male brain which supposably showed high levels of systemising. People with autism scored high levels on a systemizing scale with low levels on empathising. In addition, people with autism tend to prefer structure and are good at noticing patterns. Other evidence for this theory is a male parent's supposed lack of affection to children, which showed a disinterest in the child. Children with autism are less likely to look at people's faces. 

Outdated statistics show that boys are far more likely to have autism than girls, and that boys naturally gravitate to systems, i.e. toy cars, after one day of life.

Extreme Male Brain 

Central Coherence is a person's ability to focus on the big picture instead of only the small (local) details. For example, a person wearing a shirt can focus on each individual strand of fiber or the shirt as a whole. People with weak central coherence have difficulty looking at the whole and tends to hyperfixate on the local. This tends to appear in people with autism at higher rates than people with other neural abilities.


Areas that show weak coherence

- face recognition

- music processing

- visual stimuli

- low suseptability to illusions

Weak Central Coherence

One of the most controversial and frustrating movements regarding ASD theories revolves around the idea that vaccines could cause ASD. Where this came from and why it prevails is an interesting study in itself that delves into human psychology and our desire to find blame for thing we don't entirely understand.

- Where the Theory of Vaccines and ASD Came From
- History of the Vaccines Cause Autism Movement
- Why Vaccines Absolutely Do Not Cause Autism
- Vaccines and ASD Library

Vaccines and ASD: Why the Connection?

This literature review paper examines evidence supporting the Mind Blindness theory of autism. It was published in 2001, though, so it is important to keep in mind this publication and its citations are pre-DSM-5 and potentially outdated. 

- Theory of Mind's Innate Mechanisms and ASD Children
- ASD and the False Belief Task 
- Functional Brain Imaging and the Neural Substrate of Mentalizing

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