Comparing participation in physical recreation activities between children with disability and children with typical development: A secondary analysis of matched data.
Kids with disabilities pick fewer physical play types and play them less often, so let them choose the activity and the buddy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Woodmansee et al. (2016) asked parents about the physical play their kids do after school. They compared kids with any disability to kids without disabilities who were the same age, sex, and race.
The team used a survey called CAPE. It lists 55 physical activities like biking, swimming, or tag. Parents said how often, where, and with whom their child did each one.
What they found
Kids with disabilities joined fewer kinds of play and did them less often. They were also less likely to pick the ones they said they liked best or to play alone.
In short, the gap is not just about ability. Choice and company matter too.
How this fits with other research
Shields et al. (2015) saw the same drop in activity variety one year earlier. Both studies used CAPE and matched kids, so the finding is not a fluke.
Pan (2008) and Jean-Arwert et al. (2020) used wrist-worn counters instead of surveys. They also found kids with autism move less than peers, showing the gap holds when you measure with gadgets.
Miltenberger et al. (2013) looked at both counters and surveys. The counters said kids with autism got the same exercise minutes, but parents still reported fewer kinds of activities. This looks like a clash, yet it only shows that total minutes and activity variety are different things. Carmen’s study lines up with the parent half of G’s data: fewer types, less choice.
Why it matters
When you write a recreation goal, do not just target minutes of movement. Ask the child what they like and who they want with them. Then build those exact activities into the plan. A solo scooter ride or a preferred dance video game counts as much as PE time.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open the CAPE or a simple preference list, let your client circle three favorite active play ideas, and schedule one for this week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Facilitating participation in physical recreation among children with disability is an increasingly important aim of paediatric rehabilitation. AIM: To compare the extent (diversity and frequency), context (where and companionship), experience (enjoyment) and preference for participation in physical recreation activities outside-of-school between children with disability and children with typical development. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: One hundred and sixty-three children with physical, intellectual, sensory or multiple disabilities (67 girls; mean age 10.8 yr) were matched with 163 children with typical development for age, sex, geographical location and socioeconomic status. Participation in 16 physical recreation activities (including walking, cycling, team sports) was compared between these two groups using non-parametric statistics and relative risk ratios. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: There were significant differences between the groups in 14 activities. A lower percentage of children with disability reported participating in 5 physical recreation activities. A higher percentage of children with disability reported not participating in their preferred activities. Children with disability were less likely to participate on their own in some day-to-day physical recreation activities such as walking and cycling. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Differences between the groups related to the context (companionship) and preference for participation. Understanding and addressing these differences may enhance participation among children with disability.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.12.004