Participation in Leisure Activities as an Indicator of Inclusion: A comparison between Children with and without Disabilities in Portugal

Abstract

Participation is recognised as an important indicator of school inclusion and educational success of children with and without disabilities and one of the fundamental human rights. In particular, the participation in leisure activities plays a vital role in children's life and needs to be given a higher attention. The aim of the present exploratory study was to reflect on the inclusion of children with disabilities in Portuguese schools, by portraying and comparing their participation profiles in leisure activities to those of typically developing peers. The participation patterns in leisure activities of 61 children with disabilities and 114 children without disabilities were assessed. Results indicate that the pattern of participation of children with and without disabilities differs whether they are school or community-based activities. Regarding school-based activities, findings reveal that children with disabilities participate more frequently in these activities, but in solitary and constrained spaces at school compared to children without disabilities. For community contexts, our findings indicate that children with disabilities participate in less diverse activities than children without disabilities. In addition, the range of activities is correlated to their level of independence. This exploratory study contributes to an understanding of the pattern of participation of children with and without disabilities.

Environmental barriers and facilitators to the participation of children with cerebral palsy in recreational and leisure activities: an integrative review

“…The diversity of products and technology, such as toys and accessible spaces for play and cultural activities, facilitates participation in recreation and leisure activities. In the school environment, although leisure activities are encouraged, the level of independence functionality of children with CP correlates negatively with the diversity of recreation and leisure activities on offer (Sanches-Ferreira et al, 2019). According to Rocha et al (2018), the provision of toys, with or without adaptations, is a fundamental resource as a means of increasing accessibility during play and, consequently, enabling the child to experience new, meaningful experiences.…”

Barreiras e facilitadores ambientais na participação da criança com paralisia cerebral em atividades de recreação e lazer: uma revisão integrativa

“…A diversidade de produtos e tecnologia, como brinquedos e espaços acessíveis a brincadeiras e atividades culturais, é um facilitador do comparecimento em atividades de recreação e lazer. No ambiente escolar, embora as atividades de lazer sejam estimuladas, o nível de funcionalidade de independência da criança com PC correlaciona-se negativamente com a diversidade de oferta de atividades de recreação e lazer (Sanches-Ferreira et al, 2019). De acordo com Rocha et al (2018), a oferta de brinquedos, com ou sem adaptações, é um recurso fundamental como meio para aumentar a acessibilidade durante o brincar e, consequentemente, possibilitar à criança vivenciar novas experiências significativas.…”

Kepentingan Sistem Sokongan Rakan Sebaya Terhadap Aspek Sosial Murid Berkeperluan Pendidikan Khas Pembelajaran dalam Kelas Inklusif

“…Salah satu tujuan program inklusif dilancarkan adalah untuk meningkatkan penyertaan sosial murid berkeperluan pendidikan khas dalam komuniti sekolah dan masyarakat (Garrote et al, 2017;Avramidis et al, 2019;Sanches-Ferreira et al 2019). Penyertaan sosial ini pula haruslah dimulakan dengan kemahiran sosial seperti berinteraksi ataupun melalui komunikasi.…”