THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGEABLE ADULTS IN CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES' PLAY. AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN EUROPE.

The article presents a research of Working Group 4 of the COST Action "LUDI. Play for children with disabilities". The first step of this line of research was to investigate the needs of children with disabilities in relation to play. In order to know these needs we have directly involved users, such as the representatives of family Associations, families of children with disabilities, and children themselves. The research was conducted through a survey carried out by two questionnaires: the first addressed to the representatives of the most important Associations of families of persons with disabilities in the participating countries in the European area; the second addressed to the families of children with disabilities. The role of adults, especially the role of a knowledgeable adult in child's play, is a specific issue investigated by the survey with a devoted multiple choice question in the questionnaire addressed to Associations of families, and by an open-ended question about the needs in the questionnaire addressed to parents of children with disabilities. The responses were analyzed by detecting the percentages in the closed questions and by a content analysis in the open-ended questions. Actually the whole survey affirms a need for knowledgeable adults that have an important role in facilitating, supporting and sustaining the play activity of the children, their interaction with peers or with objects. Nevertheless we need a specific and extensive training of teachers, rehabilitation professionals and parents, and extensive research about the play to identify and plan effective interventions and specific strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]