Studies about play and development of children with visual impairments have emphasized different obstacles than emerge during interaction with their playmates. In the present study, modes of child-child interaction and of adult intervention in make-believe group play were analyzed. Possible challenges and solutions for child participation were identified. The participants were two visually impaired children (blindness and low vision) aged five years who presented school difficulties. The sessions were filmed and episodes of interaction among participants were selected, focusing on capacities and difficulties in the group context. The analysis was based on categories related to the intervention of the adult researcher and to child-child interaction during play. The analysis indicated instances of abilities and initiatives of the children in elaborating scenes and plots, as well as some difficulties in their interaction. The researcher’s role in promoting play was also underscored in each interaction instance (e.g.: the description of actions and objects for the blind child and intervention in case of disputes). The results suggested that play groups promote interaction between visually impaired children while highlighting the role of the adult in this context. Those aspects were considered relevant for pedagogical planning in the context of inclusive education.
Special Education; Visual Impairment; Play; Social Interaction; Developmental Psychology
