Using a Music Therapy Collaborative Consultative Approach - World ...

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proposed for constructing safe playgrounds (American Society for Testing and Material,
1993; Taylor & Morris, 1996; U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1997), for
playground activities (Henninger, 1994; Griffin & Rinn, 1998; Crosser, 1994), and for
promoting interaction and inclusion (Nabors & Badawi, 1997; Nabors et al., 2001; Stine,
1997; Wortham & Wortham, 1989). Additionally, attention has been given to constructing
playgrounds so they are accessible to young children with disabilities (Ministry of Education,
1990). Only a few studies have investigated the social behaviors of typically developed
children and children with special needs on playgrounds (Fujiki et al., 2001; Nabors &
Badawi, 1997 as described above), and some have examined play behavior and play styles on
playgrounds (Cullen, 1993; Ladd & Price, 1986). Only a small amount of research has
focused on promoting interactions between children with and without disabilities on
playgrounds (Hundert & Hopkins, 1992, Kern & Wolery, 2001).
The following study was undertaken for three reasons. First, the FPG childcare
schedule involves large blocks of time outdoors. Second, the playground is a huge space
with no predictable play routines. And third, the target children with autism had difficulty
engaging in meaningful play and interacting with their peers during outdoor play. An
important aspect of the physical outdoor environment is to provide play opportunities
accommodating different developmental levels, abilities and interests of children (Goldstein,
1991). To support social interaction on playgrounds, equipment and toys should encourage
cooperative play rather than solitary play (Martin et al., 1991). Preliminary observations of
the target children revealed an interest in the exciting musical equipment (The Sound Path)
on the FPG childcare playground (Kern & Wolery, 2001, 2002). Therefore, an outdoor