WHY CHILDREN DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES?

Background: Research indicates that children with disabilities participate less in after-school activities than their peers without disabilities and they have desire to participate more (e.g., Batorowicz et al., 2014; Kulis et... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Research indicates that children with disabilities participate less in after-school activities than their peers without disabilities and they have desire to participate more (e.g., Batorowicz et al., 2014; Kulis et al., 2015, Petrenchik et al., 2011). However, we lack information about the reasons for this discrepancy. The purpose of this study was to explore why children with and without disabilities do not attend after-school activities.
Method: Participants were 480 parents of school-age children from Poland, including 241 with and 239 without disabilities. They completed a questionnaire (including open and closed ended questions) about their children’s after-school activities. The data were analyzed descriptively.
Results: Ten percent of children without vs. 30% of children with disabilities did not participate in after-school activities. While no desire to take part were important reasons in both groups (46% vs. 32%, respectively), parents of children without disabilities reported no interesting offers outside school (33%) and parents of children with disabilities reported lack of time (36%) (Figure 1). Lack of adequate adaptations, transportation and support services were listed as additional reasons for children with disabilities, whereas timing of activities was noted by the other group.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that children with disabilities and their families require more supports to attend after-school activities. Further research is needed to gain insights into parent’s perceptions of affordances and children’s perspectives.
Application to Practice: Knowledge of specific supports required to pursue after-school activity choices of children with disabilities could help design inclusive programs that provide opportunities for all children.