Outdoor play decisions by caregivers of children with disabilities: A systematic review of qualitative studies
Various factors influence the outdoor play decisions of caregivers of children with disabilities
A systematic review of the literature was conducted to gain a better understanding of the decision making processes of caregivers around outdoor play in children with developmental disabilities. For this study, outdoor play was defined as “play that takes place outside, and is typically active, freely chosen, process rather than outcome oriented, and intrinsically motivating.”
This review was based, in part, on the concern that for many children with disabilities, participation in outdoor play activities is restricted and disrupted. As noted in the report, children with disabilities have less autonomy in choosing when, where, how, and with whom to play. Additionally, adults tend to be more involved in the outdoor play of children with disabilities than in the play of typically developing children. This review was also based on the understanding that the results might be useful in finding ways to increase the participation of children with disabilities in outdoor play.
This systematic search was conducted with peer-reviewed literature published from January 1990 to May 2015. The search focused specifically on (1) children with a lifelong developmental disability, (2) children in primary/elementary school (aged 6–12 years); (3) active outdoor play; and (4) caregiver decision making around outdoor play. The search yielded 11 studies, all using qualitative or mixed-methods designs. While there were a total of 992 participants across the eleven studies, 667 were from one study. Four of the studies were from North America; the others from Europe. A number of different strategies were used in collecting data about the decision making processes of children, parents, teachers, and other adults. The strategies used included focus groups, interviews, observation, and surveys.
Results indicated that caregivers, families, schools, and communities consider many factors when making decisions about when, where, how, and if outdoor play occurs. These factors included: motivation for participation in outdoor play; social and built environments; family- and school-related considerations (such as time and finances); caregivers’ awareness of opportunities; and child-related considerations (such as skills, health, and interests).
Each study described a variety of barriers and enablers to participation in outdoor play. However, as noted by the researchers, many of the same factors were seen as either barriers or enablers depending on the environment and the study population. This, the researchers concluded, demonstrates the importance of considering the interaction between the environment and the child/caregiver dyad when working to increase the participation of children with disabilities in outdoor play.
Citation
Sterman, J., Naughton, G., Froude, E., Villeneuve, M., Beetham, K., Wyver, S., Bund, A., (2016). Outdoor play decisions by caregivers of children with disabilities: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities,
