ORIGINAL PAPER Leisure Activity Enjoyment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Megan Eversole 1 • Diane M. Collins 2 • Amol Karmarkar 3 • Lisa Colton 4 • Jill Phillips Quinn 5 • Rita Karsbaek 6 • Jessica Reinken Johnson 7 • Nicolle Patricia Callier 8 • Claudia L. Hilton 2 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015 Abstract Enjoyment is a fundamental component of activity participation. This study compared leisure activity enjoyment experienced by typically developing children (TD; n = 64) and those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 67) from age 6 to 13. The TD children enjoyed formal and physical activities significantly more than the children with ASD. Symptom severity was negatively related to enjoyment of overall, formal, physical and social activities. Older children with ASD enjoyed overall, in- formal, recreational, and self-improvement activities sig- nificantly less than younger children, but no differences were seen across TD age groups. Children with ASD enjoyed swimming significantly more than TD children. Understanding patterns of activity enjoyment is useful for being better able to address a child’s motivation to par- ticipate in various life activities. Keywords Autism spectrum disorders Á Activity enjoyment Á Motivation Introduction Differences in activity participation choices made by individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are suggested by the core features of social communication and social interaction deficits, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Child-preferred activities have long been used to promote social participation among children with ASD (Koegel et al. 1987, 2010; Taylor and Fisher 2010). In order to best utilize this intervention principle, understanding patterns of activity enjoyment among chil- dren with ASD is helpful when planning interventions and group activities. Enjoyment Versus Participation Current research has examined differences in activity enjoyment between children with ASD and TD children. However, a majority of these studies focused on partici- pation rather than enjoyment. Before proceeding, differ- entiating between the two constructs is necessary. A researcher may choose to focus on participation, as the concept is more readily observable and quantifiable (Coster and Khetani 2008). Enjoyment, on the other hand, is a more abstract and subjective concept and is included in the current study in data from the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE; King et al. 2004). & Claudia L. Hilton clhilton@utmb.edu 1 Occupational Therapy Department, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 2 Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 3 Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 4 Occupational Therapy Department, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA 5 Occupational Therapy Department, Family Service Madison, Bridges Birth to Three, Madison, WI, USA 6 Occupational Therapy Department, Physiotherapy Associates, St. Charles, IL, USA 7 Occupational Therapy Department, Therapy Relief, Chesterfield, MO, USA 8 Occupational Therapy Department, PSKids, St. Louis, MO, USA 123 J Autism Dev Disord DOI 10.1007/s10803-015-2529-z