Examination of the play behaviors of children with special needs during free play times in preschool educational institutions

The aim of this study is to examine the leisure-time activities of children with special needs attending preschool education institutions. This qualitative research focuses on a study group consisting of 40 children with special needs who attended independent preschools in the central districts of Mersin province during the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year.In accordance with ethical principles, informative consent forms were sent to the families of participating children, and the study commenced after obtaining their feedback. The free play activities of preschool children with special needs were observed in both indoor and outdoor settings. The data collection tools used in the research include the "Observation Form for the Games of Children with Special Needs," and an "Observation Journal," prepared by the researcher with input from experts in the field. The data collection process for the observation form involved 20 minutes of observation in an open area and 20 minutes in a closed area for each child, totaling 160 minutes of observation for each child over the course of 8 weeks.The study revealed a correlation between the types of games preferred by children with special needs and the play areas they chose. Observations indicated that children with special needs engage in various types of games and exhibit parallel play behaviors during their leisure time, particularly in open areas. The research findings also showed that children with physical disabilities tended to avoid physical games. Analysis of the play durations revealed that, within an 80-minute observation period, the majority of children played for 48 to 63 minutes, frequently changing play materials but not altering the structure of the games significantly.Furthermore, communication problems and various difficulties such as exclusion from play, falls, and injuries were observed among the children in the study group. The results obtained from the research were discussed within the framework of the literature, and recommendations for practitioners and researchers were developed based on the findings.