Play skill levels and toy preferences of disabled children according to their mothers

Rukiye Konuk Er,Şenay İlik

doi:10.18844/cjes.v17i2.6821

Rukiye Konuk Er, Şenay İlik

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v17i2.6821

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Abstract

This study aims to examine the views of mothers regarding plays and toys which are of great significance also for children with intellectual retardation and learning disability. This study was conducted through a mixed method by using qualitative and quantitative methods together. Seventy-five mothers who participated in the study were chosen by using the purposive sampling method in the first stage and the random sampling method in the second stage. Data were collected through the ‘Play Skills Scale’ and ‘Mother Interview Form’. The quantitative data were analysed through Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests and qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. In the qualitative dimension of the study following themes were found; playing with the child, the toys the child plays with, whether the child has a toy he/she always plays with, and whether giving the child the right to choose when buying toys. For the quantitative dimension of the study significant difference was found between the play skill levels, disability type, giving the child the right to choose when buying toys, and toy type variables.  Keywords: Early childhood; intellectual retardation; learning disability; play; toy

Highlights

Play which exists everywhere humans exist is a universal concept and ‘play is a part of real-life and the most efficient learning process which has a purpose or not, which has certain rules or not, which children perform willingly and which is the basis of physical, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development’ (Aral et al, 2001; Sezgin, 2016)
Materials used in plays and known as toys are the very basic tools for learning, and development from the beginning of a child’s life (Adak-Ozdemir & Ramazan, 2012; Bianquin, 2018)
This study aimed to examine the play skills and toy choices of children with intellectual retardation (IR) and learning disabilities (LD) through the views of their mothers

Summary

Introduction

Play which exists everywhere humans exist is a universal concept and ‘play is a part of real-life and the most efficient learning process which has a purpose or not, which has certain rules or not, which children perform willingly and which is the basis of physical, cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development’ (Aral et al, 2001; Sezgin, 2016). Play varies according to the development of children. Plays can be grouped according to their structure, the place they are played, the use of tools, the material they are played with, and physical plays and plays with music (Ozturk, 2010). Materials used in plays and known as toys are the very basic tools for learning, and development from the beginning of a child’s life (Adak-Ozdemir & Ramazan, 2012; Bianquin, 2018). Plays and toys are occupations that provide many developmental gains to children (Avci, 2002; Yaman, 2019)

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