Young Children’s Decisions to Include Peers With Physical Disabilities in Play

Abstract

The authors examined factors related to preschool children's reasoning about including a hypothetical peer with a physical disability in different play activities. They hypothesized that children's inclusion decisions would be influenced by features of the physical environment, attention to issues of fairness and equity, and individual child characteristics. Participants comprised 72 children enrolled in inclusive preschool classrooms. Children's ideas about inclusion and their inclusion decisions were gathered in response to vignettes reflecting experiences that children are likely to encounter in preschool. The authors found that children were significantly more likely to say that they would include a child with a physical disability in an activity requiring few motor skills. Children's inclusion decisions were also significantly associated with their developing theory-of-mind skills and with prompts that encouraged them to consider issues of fairness and equity when making a decision. These results suggest that adaptations of planned activities that promote participation by reducing motor demands for all children, along with attention to issues of fairness and equity of opportunity, may be effective classroomwide interventions to support inclusion of children with disabilities in play activities with peers.

Strategies for Inclusion in Play among Children with Physical Disabilities in Childcare Centers: An Integrative Review

“…It was effective to adapt activities (e.g., incorporating activities that can be completed in a wheelchair, in an effort to reduce motor demands) to enable all children to participate and promote all children to play together (Diamond & Hong, 2010). Reducing the demands increased the equality of participation because the physical disability then interfered minimally with the activity (Diamond & Hong, 2010).…”

“…The play setting within the inclusive classroom "held a significant and meaningful role in children's decision-making" in terms of including peers in play activities (Diamond & Tu, 2009, p.79). The setting demands, activity, and the degree of disability all had an impact on children's ideas about inclusion and fairness within the classroom, and decisions to include children with disabilities in play (Diamond & Hong, 2010). Learning and play centers alone did not have the ability to facilitate play interactions between children with and without disabilities (Brown & Bergen, 2002).…”

“…It was effective to adapt activities (e.g., incorporating activities that can be completed in a wheelchair, in an effort to reduce motor demands) to enable all children to participate and promote all children to play together (Diamond & Hong, 2010). Reducing the demands increased the equality of participation because the physical disability then interfered minimally with the activity (Diamond & Hong, 2010). The activities within the classroom environment had the potential to "either facilitate or constrain peer interactions, with table activities inviting less social interaction and block and dramatic play activities inviting more social interaction" (de Groot, 2005, p.167).…”

“…Brown and Bergen (2002) suggested that it may require a conscious effort on the part of the adult to facilitate peer interaction by encouraging fairness in play. Inclusion decisions for children in play were influenced by the facilitator encouraging the children to consider issues of fairness and equity, such as if a child had never had a chance to participate in an activity before (Diamond & Hong, 2010;Diamond & Tu, 2009). Providing information on how the children can play together was important for inclusive play, because some children may not know the best way to involve their peers with a disability (Diamond & Tu, 2009).…”

More than Just Pictures: Using Picture Books to Broaden Young Learners’ Disability Understanding

“…First, exposure to information about disabilities increases children's understanding about human differences. Young children have often limited or incorrect understandings about individuals with disabilities and of the adaptive equipment associated with the related impairment [18,19]. Through book-reading and discussions, young children can learn about individuals with disabilities they have not personally encountered, get in touch with the terminology associated with disabilities, and receive information about relevant adaptive equipment: this will help clarify misconceptions.…”