Page No 74-83
S. Venkatesan and Nimisha Ravindran
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore
This study uses a cross sectional exploratory research design to elicit information
from 42 well siblings of equal number clinical subjects with various types of
developmental disabilities on or about play behaviors and activities for analysis
in relation to variables like age, age, gender, education, type of disability, and
number of siblings. A socio-demographic data sheet and another standardized
90-item ‘Play Activity Checklist for Children with Mental Retardation’was used
to measure the key variables: ‘play behavior’ and ‘play activity’. Results indicate
discernable patterns of play preferences in affected children and their unaffected
sibling for the studied variables. For example, greater number and variety of
play is reported for girls than boys, for children in age group of 7-11 years, for
those attending special schools, or in children categorized as ‘others’ than
those identified as ‘mental retardation’ or ‘hearing impairment’. The implications
of these findings for amelioration of children with developmental disabilities
through well sibling betterment programs are discussed at the end of the study