Play and Cerebral Palsy

All children have a right to play and it’s widely recognised as a primary occupation for all children. Despite this, children with physical disabilities are often described as playing less than their typically developing peers. Little research to date has asked children with significant physical disabilities about their experience of play. This research explores the experience of play for 6-12 year olds with high levels of physical disability due to Cerebral Palsy. This study is informed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and has involved six children with high levels of physical disability between the ages for six and eleven. The primary researcher has carried out three interviews with each child. Each interview included visual components such as the use of videoing the child engaging at play at the start of the meeting, and the opportunity to show toys and draw play experiences in order to help generate discussion. The findings suggest that children with Cerebral Palsy experience differences in their play in comparison to their typically developing peers, particularly surrounding their imaginary play in which they often play as themselves but without a disability.