Pretend play of children with acquired brain injury : an exploratory study

<b>Objective:</b> This exploratory study aimed to describe the self-initiated pretend play of three children who had sustained an acquired brain injury (ABI). No previous research was found.<br /><br /><b>Methods:</b> Three children aged 3.0–6.0 years were recruited through purposive sampling. Pretend play ability was assessed using the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.<br /><br /><b>Results:</b> Two of the three children scored below the range expected for children their age and one child scored above the range, indicating a wide range of pretend play ability for the children. None of the children could sustain their engagement in pretend play to complete the time of the assessment.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion:</b> Complex pretend play ability is a functional assessment of cognitive ability involving sequential planning, problem-solving, language and social understanding. Cognitive fatigue is argued to explain the children's limited ability to engage in play for the time expected for their ages. More research is required.<br />