A Comparison of the Play Skills of Normal Boys and Boys with Sensory Integrative Dysfunction

Abstract

Occupational therapists often assume that children with sensory integrative (SI) dysfunction also have play deficits. However, occupational therapy literature suggests that some children with SI dysfunction may compensate for their deficits and be able to play in an age-appropriate fashion. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the mean scores on the Preschool Play Scale (PPS) of a group of young boys with SI dysfunction were significantly lower than those of a group of their normal peers. Sixty-one boys between the ages of 54 and 82 months (normal group, n = 30; group with SI dysfunction, n = 31) were the subjects for this study. The group with SI dysfunction scored significantly lower than the normal boys on four of five PPS scores. However, many of the boys with SI dysfunction obtained normal PPS scores. This suggests that therapists should routinely assess the play skills of young children referred to them for SI evaluation.