Importance of recreation activities in the disabled (Qualitative work on down syndrome)

Down syndrome is the most frequently seen chromosomal anomaly in the world. It is one of the major problems in the population as it is characterized by mental retardation and it causes death in young ages. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of recreation activities, which are conducted in special education practice and rehabilitation centers, on children with Down syndrome. Teachers from different branches who work in this kind of centers located in Tatvan, district of Bitlis province, formed the universe, and eight male and three female teachers who accepted to participate in the study in a voluntary base formed the sample of the study. The researcher, in the study conducted by qualitative method, used interview technique. Based on various scientific sources (periodicals, books etc.), laws and regulations the researcher created a draft interview form consisting of 18 items. The advisor of this thesis and the other two experts of the subject examined 18 items, andfive of them,whichwere not directly related to the purpose of the study, were excluded from the draft interview form. The form consists of 13 items agreed on. All items are in the type of “semi-structured open-ended” question. In addition, an “Information Form” prepared by the researcher to gather individual information about the teachers. “Descriptive analysis” method was used in the analysis of the data. According to the results of the study, the recreation activities has a positive effect on the health, level of perception and free behavior on their own on children with Down syndrome. Designing further researches for children with different types of disabilities are proposed.