Encouraging children’s Friendship

through

RECREATION

Families, school personnel, and community recreation

staff all play a role in encouraging the growth of friendships between

children with and without disabilities.

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Families can take many

positive steps to influence friendship building between

children with and without disabilities through recreation activities.

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Recognizing that friendships for their children will generally not

occur by themselves, parents recommend to other families the following approaches for

encouraging friendships.

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1 Make

friendship

development a

family priority

2 Become

acquainted

with other

families

3 Schedule

children’s

times

together

4 Invite children into homes and on outing

5 Learn about

individual needs

of children

6 Discuss

children’s

friendships at

home

7 Encourage

positive

social

interactions

8 Learn about

community

recreation

resources

Title

Include social and recreation skills in

curricula.

Assign

friends to the

same

classroom

Provide

opportunities for

families to

become

acquainted

Include

friendship and

recreation goals

in the IEPs

Train school

personnel on

children’s

friendships

Offer disability

awareness training

to parents and

nondisabled

children

Tell parents

when

friendships

develop.

Welcome all

children in

recreation

programs.

Ensure

architectural

accessibility

Ensure

program

accessibility

Educate staff

to meet

individual

needs.

Provide

cooperative

activities that

promote positive

peer interactions

Coordinate after-

school activities

and school

schedules

For children with and without disabilities to become friends, they must have opportunities to be together as peers in recreation activities. Parents, school personnel, and community recreation staff all play an essential role in creating and shaping these opportunities.

Title Silver Mae B. Molina BEED-SPED

School of Education, Xavier University

REFERENCES: • https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/family_children

_balloons_nature_holiday_joy_54202_2560x1440

.jpg

• Citation: Gaylord, V., Lieberman, L., Abery, B. &

Lais, G. (Eds.). (2003). Impact: Feature Issue on

Social Inclusion Through Recreation for Persons

with Disabilities, 16(2) Minneapolis: University of

Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration.

Available from

• http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/162.