A Study of Factors Associated with the Participation of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Leisure Activities

Purpose: The present research aims to identify the factors associated with the participation of children with autism spectrum disorder in leisure activities. Research Methodology: The study was descriptive in nature and use quantitative methods to analyze the data. Parents of children with ASD studying in private and public schools for students with autism spectrum disorder from Lahore division including its 4 districts; Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhpura and Nankana Sahib were the population of the study. A sample of 88 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder participated in this study. Researchers used self-developed and validated Likert type questionnaire. After raw data collection, the data was coded in coding scheme by using statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) and tabulated to show the mean and standard deviation of responses. Findings: The findings obtained in this study suggest that children with autism spectrum disorder were willing to participate in leisure activities, but their participation in leisure activities differed by activity types. It was observed that personal factors, such as age, gender, job responsibilities, family pressure, health issues, as well as the socioeconomic status of the family, affect participation in leisure activities. Recommendations: Schools may organize parental training sessions where parents should be guided and motivated in making and executing a game plan to show their child’s strength in leisure activities at school level.