Recent research suggests that giving persons with autism the
power to choose their own leisure activities can boost their
enjoyment, as well as improve communication and social skills,
according to an international team of researchers. “For many of
us, we look at recreation as a time to spend on activities that
are fun and that are designed for our enjoyment,” said John
Dattilo, professor of recreation, park and tourism management,
Penn State. “But for some people with disabilities, particularly
those who have autism, these activities can be a source of
frustration, simply because they didn’t have a chance to make
their own leisure choices.” Dattilo said that a group of 20
autistic adults who participated in a yearlong recreation
program that offered them a chance to choose activities, scored
higher on personality tests that measure social and
communication skills than the control group of 20 autistic
adults who were randomly assigned to the program’s waiting list.
Participants met for two hours each weekday