Promoting disability awareness in preschool

Dianna G Cooper, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a short-term, intervention for preschool-aged children designed to teach children about physical disabilities, in particular the use of a wheelchair and promote acceptance of peers who have physical disabilities. In addition to evaluating the intervention, methods of instruction—Experiential and Traditional, and their relation to children's theory of mind skills were also evaluated. Measures included the Knowledge of Disabilities Interview (KDI) (adapted from Diamond, 2001) and the Acceptance Scale for Kindergarteners (ASK) (adapted from Favazza & Odom, 1999). The Intervention Groups were conducted over a one-week span, with the KDI and ASK administered both the week prior to and the week following the intervention. Sixty-two children were randomly assigned to one of three groups, the Experiential (hands-on), the Traditional (books/videos) and a Comparison group (teacher-selected topic). Complete data were gathered on 55 children (32 girls). Analyses revealed significant main effects for both the KDI and ASK scales, a main effect for Intervention groups and significant interactions between Groups and Time. Children in both intervention groups, but not those in the comparison group, made significant gains on measures of understanding and acceptance. Although it was predicted that a child's theory of mind skills would be a moderator, data did not support the hypothesis. These findings have implications for enhancing the experiences of children with disabilities in the inclusive classroom through increasing the knowledge and acceptance of their typically developing peer.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Diamond, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Cellular biology|Developmental psychology

COinS