Inclusion Understood From the Perspectives of Children With Disability

TLDR

The study examined how children with disabilities perceive inclusion in physical activity. Participants were 11 children aged 8–12 with various disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, motor delays, developmental coordination disorder, muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, brachial plexus injury, and severe asthma) who were interviewed via semistructured interviews that were audio‑taped, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Three themes emerged—gaining entry to play, feeling like a legitimate participant, and having friends—showing that others’ actions largely determine children’s sense of inclusion in sports, games, and play.

Abstract

This study explored the perspectives of children with disabilities regarding the concept of inclusion in physical activity. Participants were children (two girls, nine boys, M age = 10 years, five months, age range: 8–12 years) with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, fine and gross motor delays, developmental coordination disorder, muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, brachial plexus injury, and severe asthma. Children’s perspectives on inclusion in physical activity (e.g., sports, games, and play) were explored through semistructured interviews. Interviews were digitally audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed through content analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: gaining entry to play, feeling like a legitimate participant, and having friends. These themes were associated with feeling included to varying degrees in sports, games, and play. In essence, it was the actions of others that were the prominent features identified by children that contributed to feeling more or less included in physical activity contexts. These results are discussed in relation to inclusion in physical education, recreation, and unstructured free play.