Assessment format of leisure time of adolescents with or without mental deficiency

The aim of the present study is to determine how adolescents with or without mental deficiency spend leisure time and the view of their families. Sample of the research has been occurred by the voluntary participation of fifteen mentally deficient students' parents and fifteen normal students' parents among adolescents' families in Bolu and Düzce, of Western Black Sea Region cities. The data were collected by means of structured interviews, one of the qualitative data collection methods. It has consulted expert opinion in the preparation stage of the interview form. According to the results of the present study it is stated that both of the groups spend their leisure time mostly at home but majority of the adolescent with mental deficiency spend leisure time at home. It's observed that both groups mostly spend leisure time by watching television. Although normal adolescents do more social activities in leisure time, it's stated that mentally deficient adolescents are interested in activities in accordance with younger age groups and do the less socialized activities. It's seen that as normal adolescents spend most of their leisure time with their friends, mentally deficient adolescents spend their leisure time with their mother and neighborhood. Normal adolescents' parents are eager to lead them outdoor activities whether mentally deficient adolescents' parents are not because of the worries about in secureness. This is the reason why the parents of mentally deficient adolescent intent to motivate their children to spend leisure time with their neighborhood and normal peers. As the research findings have been taken into consideration it can be seen that adolescent have significant insufficiencies of spending leisure time. The main reasons of these insufficiencies are lack of places that adolescent can spend leisure time and the lack of knowledge and guidance of parents of adolescent about spending leisure time. Keywords: mentally deficient, leisure time, adolescent, ınterview technique