Pretend Play and Autism: 7 Ways to Spark Imagination

Key Points:

• Pretend play supports creativity, communication, and social understanding in children with autism.
• Many children on the spectrum need structured support to engage in imaginative play.
• Simple, consistent strategies at home—and guidance from ABA therapists—can unlock powerful developmental progress.

Pretend play and autism may not always seem to go hand in hand. Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges with symbolic thinking, flexibility, and social interaction—all of which are typically required during imaginative play. But that doesn’t mean pretend play isn’t possible. In fact, when guided with care and patience, pretend play can become a meaningful part of a child’s developmental journey.

Let’s explore what makes pretend play challenging for kids with autism, and more importantly, how caregivers can help foster imaginative thinking in ways that feel natural, enjoyable, and rewarding.

Why Pretend Play Matters for Children with Autism

Pretend play is more than just dress-up games or tea parties with stuffed animals. It’s a key part of how children learn to think creatively, practice language, and understand the world from different perspectives. For children with autism, pretend play can:

• Strengthen communication by encouraging expressive and receptive language.
• Build social skills through turn-taking, role-playing, and shared scenarios.
• Support emotional understanding and flexibility by exploring different feelings or situations.
• Promote cognitive development by using symbols, planning sequences, and solving problems.

However, many autistic children find it difficult to engage in this kind of play spontaneously. Their strengths often lie in concrete thinking, routines, or focused interests, which may not naturally lend themselves to imaginative scenarios. That’s where parents, caregivers, and professionals like ABA therapists can step in to scaffold these skills.

Imaginative play can feel overwhelming for many children with autism, especially if it's introduced without connection to their world. But with the right approach, pretend play becomes not only achievable—it becomes meaningful and enjoyable. 

One of the most effective ways to ease into it is by tapping into something that already lights up your child’s mind: their special interests. When we use what already excites them as a starting point, we open a door to creativity that feels safe and familiar. 

Let’s explore how to begin with what your child already loves and build from there.

Use Your Child’s Special Interests as the Starting Point

Children with autism often have deep, passionate interests in specific topics—trains, dinosaurs, outer space, animals, or even vacuum cleaners. These intense interests can be powerful tools to introduce pretend play in a way that feels comfortable and exciting.

Rather than trying to move a child away from their preferred subject, meet them where they are.

Here’s how:

• Turn a train track into a pretend city where trains talk to each other and go on missions.
• Build a story where dinosaurs have a birthday party or need help finding a lost friend.
• Use a favorite character from a show to act out scenarios together, encouraging your child to come up with ideas.

By honoring your child’s interests, you create a bridge between their comfort zone and new, imaginative possibilities.

Start with Simple, Repetitive Pretend Routines

Many children with autism thrive on repetition and predictability. So instead of open-ended or spontaneous pretend play, try creating a short pretend routine that you can repeat regularly.

Examples include:

• Pretending to cook the same “meal” each day using play food.
• Having a stuffed animal “wake up,” “get dressed,” and “go to school” in the same order every morning.
• Playing doctor with a clear, step-by-step script: check heartbeat, give a bandage, say “all better.”

These scripted routines help your child anticipate what comes next while slowly introducing creativity. As they become more comfortable, you can encourage small changes to the routine or let your child decide what happens next.

Use Visual Supports to Teach Pretend Play Concepts

Pretend play often involves abstract thinking, which can be a barrier for some autistic children. Visual supports make those abstract ideas more concrete.

Try these tools:

• Picture cards showing pretend actions (like feeding a doll or flying a toy airplane).
• Play scripts with simple images and steps (“Put the baby in the stroller” → “Push the stroller to the store”).
• Storyboards that show a sequence of events in a pretend story.

These visuals give structure to an otherwise imaginative activity and make it easier for a child to follow along and participate.

ABA therapists frequently incorporate these strategies into sessions, helping children generalize pretend skills across settings and with different people.

Model Pretend Play Without Pressure

A big part of pretend play and autism support involves modeling. Children on the spectrum often benefit from watching an adult demonstrate how to use a toy in an imaginative way.

But it’s important to do this without pressure. Don’t demand participation—just play alongside your child and narrate what you’re doing.

For example:

• “Look! This truck is stuck in the mud. I’ll help it with my tow truck.”
• “My dinosaur is so sleepy. He needs to find a cave to sleep in.”

Even if your child doesn’t immediately copy you, they’re still observing and learning. Over time, they may imitate or respond in their own way.

Use Real-Life Experiences as Pretend Scenarios

Children with autism often do best with familiar routines and concrete experiences. You can turn these routines into pretend scenarios that help them process and reenact daily life.

Ideas include:

• Pretending to go to the grocery store with play food and a toy cart.
• Acting out bedtime routines with dolls or stuffed animals.
• Playing “school” or “bus ride” if your child goes to school.

These familiar frameworks give children a safe structure to build from and allow them to process their emotions, experiences, and social interactions in a playful way.

Encourage Parallel and Interactive Play Gradually

Pretend play doesn’t have to be social at first. Some autistic children prefer solitary or parallel play—where they play next to others without interaction. That’s okay.

You can build toward interactive play step by step.

Here’s a suggested progression:

1. Parallel pretend play: You and your child play similar roles side by side (e.g., both feeding dolls).
2. Joint attention games: Use phrases like “Look at what my baby is doing!” and wait for eye contact or acknowledgment.
3. Shared pretend scenarios: Begin including your child in simple cooperative play (“Can your dinosaur help mine?”).
4. Role-switching: Take turns being the doctor and the patient, for example.

This process allows your child to feel more in control and less overwhelmed as they develop social pretend skills.

Partner with ABA Therapists for Individualized Support

When it comes to pretend play and autism, professional guidance can make a real difference. ABA therapy—Applied Behavior Analysis—is one of the most evidence-based approaches to teaching new skills to children with autism, including pretend play.

At Total Care ABA, therapists work closely with families to identify a child’s interests, strengths, and developmental level. From there, they design play-based interventions that gradually shape symbolic thinking, creativity, and social understanding.

ABA sessions often include structured pretend play routines, modeling, reinforcement systems, and generalization practice to help kids use their new skills at home, school, and in the community.

For many parents, having this consistent, supportive partnership is what helps make pretend play feel possible—and even fun.

Final Thoughts: Supporting Pretend Play Through ABA Therapy

Pretend play and autism might look different compared to neurotypical development—but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful or impactful. For many children on the spectrum, imaginative play becomes a gateway to communication, connection, and confidence when nurtured in the right environment.

If your child struggles with pretend play or imaginative thinking, consider working with a team that understands both the science and the heart of autism therapy. At Total Care ABA, we offer ABA therapy in North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Georgia, Arizona, Maine, Tennessee, and New Mexico—personalized to support your child’s growth through evidence-based, play-centered strategies.

Let’s help spark imagination, one step at a time. Reach out today to learn how ABA therapy can bring joyful, meaningful play into your child’s world.