Are Preschool Children with Special Needs Being Accepted by Their Typically Developing Peers in Inclusive Child Care Programs

Abstract

Thirty-one typically developing preschool children, who were enrolled in inclusive child care programs, reported their friendship preferences for classmates with and without special needs. Teachers rated friendship preferences for all children in their classrooms. Observers recorded the frequency of time that children with and without special eneds spent playing alone or cooperatively during 30 minutes of free play. The main purpose of this study was to assess preschool children's friendship preferences for classmates with and without special needs, using child and teacher versions of a frienship rating scale. A secondary purpose was to observe whether differences existed in the amount of friendship play, defined as cooperative interactions, between preschool children with and without special needs. Results indicated that children and teachers provided higher friendship ratings for typical peers than for classmates who had special needs. Typically developing children engaged in more cooperative play than children with special needs. These results were discussed and recommendations for practice and future research were provided.