Play is an important activity for children. Almost all children play, but what is play? It is not easy to define play. In the past, people believed that children played to burn their energy. Now, we know that play is important for children’s growth and development. Some children with disabilities may experience barriers to play. We have some theoretical models of play. But they are not complete. They do not look at play as a whole. Some models are just about playfulness, and some are about playing with others. Play is a child’s right and ALL children should be able to play. This project aims to define play and identify features that are important in helping a child with a physical disability fully engage in play. Having a model that defines play helps us think about play and the different aspects of play. Then, when a child cannot play, we can find the part that is not working and fix it. We want to introduce a model of play in this project. We want to edit and complete it in three steps. So, as the first step in this project, we will ask parents and children with physical disabilities about things that help or do not help them play!
Please see the posters below to learn more about this study.