The play interactions of young children with and without disabilities: Individual and environmental influences

Abstract To describe the context of play as well as to better understand the experience of inclusive classrooms for children with and without disabilities, young children’s play interactions and beliefs in inclusive preschool settings were examined. Individual interviews of 21 typically developing children and observations of 29 children with and without disabilities in the classroom and on the playground provided data for the study. Summaries of children’s play patterns showed a tendency for children without disabilities to engage in more cooperative play and less solitary play and onlooking behavior than did their peers with disabilities. Descriptive comparisons of activity choice showed a high level of similarity between the types of activities that children with and without disabilities selected during free play. Typically developing children spent less time interacting with their peers with disabilities than was expected, and children with disabilities interacted less with their typically developing peers than was expected. An understanding of disability was predictive of stated preference to play with hypothetical peers with disabilities. Actual interactions with peers with disabilities were predicted by children’s age and teacher presence, but not by an understanding of disability or stated playmate preference.

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