‘Everyone’s just like, they’re fine, and when in reality, are we?’ Stories about recess from children experiencing disability

ABSTRACT

Recess can be a valuable and significant experience in children’s lives, providing opportunities for outdoor free play and engagement with peers; however, children experiencing disability often withdraw or are excluded during recess. The recess context has received little attention from an inclusion perspective and the voices of children experiencing disability remain marginalized in the literature. Guided by relational ethics, the purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of children experiencing disability regarding inclusion during recess using qualitative multiple-case study informed by narrative approaches. Three children experiencing disability, ages 8, 9 and 11, attending integrated primary schools, participated. Data were generated through one-on-one semi-structured interviews, drawings, photo elicitation, mind-mapping, field notes and reflexive journaling. The discussion focuses on the following questions: (1) What is recess really about and who is it for?, (2) How do peers and teachers come into play? and (3) What remains inaccessible? The findings encourage critical reflection on the socio-spatial factors that contribute to feelings of inclusion at recess for children experiencing disability. This work adds knowledge to developing supportive environments and practices in recess and free play that resonate with the desires and needs of children experiencing disability.

KEYWORDS:

• Recess
• inclusion
• disability
• case study
• narrative

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We engaged an experiential model of disability in this study (see Peers et al., 2014). Disability language inconsistencies are due to quotes from the literature or participants.

2 Ableism refers to a ‘network of beliefs, processes and practices’ (Campbell 2001 cited in Campbell 2009, p. 5) that cast ‘disability’, ‘as a diminished state of being human’ (Campbell 2001 cited in Campbell 2009, p. 5)’ (Hodge & Runswick-Cole, 2013, p. 312).

3 The paper was written in the first and third person for ease of reading and in reflection of study processes.

4 The first author and primary investigator was the study interviewer and a graduate student at the time of the study. The second author was an Associate professor in Adapted Physical Activity.

5 In keeping with the experiential lens and parents’ responses to the question, ‘Should you feel comfortable sharing, does your child experience disability?’ we have not shared impairment diagnoses.

6 Integrated primary schools refers to placement or space of education. When students are integrated, they are attending school/classes in the same spaces as their fellow peers.

7 The descriptions of the children were generated by the PI from their time spent with them.

8 Portable refers to a freestanding classroom that is separate from the main school structure.