Social interactions among preschool handicapped and non-handicapped children

An integrated group of preschool children were observed during free-play using categories adapted from Strain, Shores & Kerr (1976) and Strain & Timm (1974). A continuous recording 5-min time-sampling technique was employed. Neither developmental age nor the presence or absence of handicap were found to be indicators of the total number of interactions, initiations or responses between children. However, children of similar developmental age interacted with one another more frequently than those of dissimilar developmental age. Developmentally more advanced children initiated interactions more frequently with adults than developmentally less advanced children. Wider environmental influences on interaction patterns were also implicated by the findings.