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

Abstract

The purpose of this integrative review was to examine strategies that facilitate inclusion in play among children with physical disabilities in childcare centers. Nine databases were systematically searched for peer reviewed empirical studies investigating inclusion strategies for play in childcare settings among preschoolers with physical disabilities. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were appraised using the McMaster Critical Review Forms. The inclusion approaches identified were grouped into relevant strategies during analysis. Two main strategies were identified: role of the adult facilitator and environmental factors. substrategies within the role of the adult facilitator included: customize approach for specific child's needs; adult facilitator self-awareness of presence; prompting and praise; and promote fairness, equity, and play interaction. Substrategies within the environmental factors included: physical setting; type of toys; and type of play activity. The findings suggest play inclusion strategies in the childcare environment. Therapists are encouraged to apply inclusion strategies to improve play opportunities for children with disabilities, but future research is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of these strategies using higher quality study designs.

Physio- and Occupational Therapists View of the Place of Play in Re/habilitation: A Swedish Perspective

“…The environment should be adapted for the assistive devices or the assistive device should be adapted to the environment. Creating an enabling environment is according to Crawford, Stafford, Phillips, Scott, and Tucker (2014) one of the main strategies within habilitation to promote participation in play. Other equally important strategies were toys that promoted cooperative play, a facilitating adult and the need to work client-centred (Frey & Kaiser, 2011).…”

Research Foundations for Evidence-Informed Early Childhood Intervention Performance Checklists

“…Similar types of responsive caregiving behavior have been found effective for facilitating peer interactions of young children with and without disabilities or delays [132,308,335]. Bowman et al [332], for example, found in their review of preschool teachers use of responsive caregiving practices that responsive caregiving was among a number of teaching strategies that enhanced positive peer interactions.…”

“…The research foundations for the three instructional practices include the effects of different methods and strategies that parents or practitioners use to reinforce child behavior and facilitate acquisition of new competencies; for example, [21,59,63,242,303,[305][306][307]. The research foundations also include evidence for the effects of arranging or manipulating antecedent events as conditions for instructional practices to have optimal benefits [132,308,309]. Nearly all research synthesis investigators concluded that use of the key characteristics of the instructional practices is associated with discernible child benefits [239,300,306,307].…”

Partners in play: Exploring ‘playing with’ children living with severe physical and intellectual disabilities

“…A more playful child has more internal control, is more intrinsically motivated, is freer from some constraints of reality, and is better able to give and receive interactional cues than a less playful child (Bundy, 1997; Hamm, 2006; Harkness and Bundy, 2001). Although the child with SPID may not be able to independently engage in play opportunities in the immediate environment, considerations such as the arrangement of space (into clearly defined places, without the obstruction of furnishings) and the selection, presentation and adaptation of materials are known to help children orient and engage more effectively with play materials (Crawford et al., 2014). Accommodations regarding noise-levels, lighting and general accessibility also promote more positive play experiences for children of various abilities (Doctoroff, 2001).…”