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TABLE 1<br />
Characteristics of Campers With <strong>and</strong> Without Disabilities<br />
One widely overlooked arena for social interacti<strong>on</strong><br />
is community recreati<strong>on</strong> programs.<br />
There is a dem<strong>on</strong>strated benefit of social<br />
interacti<strong>on</strong> during leisure activities for children<br />
with disabilities (Bedini, 2000). Studies<br />
have examined methods to improve inclusive<br />
recreati<strong>on</strong> in areas such as staff training <strong>and</strong><br />
administrative or structural modificati<strong>on</strong><br />
(Herbert, 2000; Schleien, Germ, & McAvoy,<br />
1996). In additi<strong>on</strong>, several studies have dem<strong>on</strong>strated<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> benefit of inclusive recreati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> social acceptance of children with disabilities<br />
(Anders<strong>on</strong>, Schleien, McAvoy, Lais, &<br />
Seligmann, 1997; Devine, 2004; Sable, 1995).<br />
However, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se studies did not address improving<br />
interacti<strong>on</strong>s between children with<br />
<strong>and</strong> without disabilities, which is an extensively<br />
studied area in educati<strong>on</strong>al settings. Due<br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack of interventi<strong>on</strong> studies in leisure<br />
settings, research is needed to determine <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
impact of peer training at recreati<strong>on</strong> sites.<br />
Therefore, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> purpose of this investigati<strong>on</strong><br />
was to examine effects of a peer interventi<strong>on</strong><br />
procedure designed to increase interacti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
between children with <strong>and</strong> without disabilities<br />
during an inclusive summer day camp.<br />
Method<br />
Campers Without Disabilities Campers With Disabilities<br />
Camp<br />
Sessi<strong>on</strong> Gender Age Gender Age Disability (Verbal Ability)<br />
1-A Male 7 Female 5 Emoti<strong>on</strong>al Disorder (Verbal)<br />
1-B Female 7 Male 10 <strong>Autism</strong> (Verbal)<br />
1-C Male 5 Male 5 <strong>Autism</strong> (Language Delay)<br />
2-A Male 8 Male 8 Visual Impairment (Verbal)<br />
2-B Female 7 Male 10 <strong>Autism</strong> (Verbal)<br />
2-C Male 7 Male 7 <strong>Autism</strong> (Limited language usage)<br />
Participant Selecti<strong>on</strong><br />
The study was c<strong>on</strong>ducted in an inclusive summer<br />
day camp organized by a suburban community<br />
recreati<strong>on</strong> program in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mid-Atlantic<br />
regi<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> United States. The<br />
investigati<strong>on</strong> took place during regularly<br />
scheduled camp hours (9am-5pm) at indoor<br />
<strong>and</strong> outdoor camp facilities. The camp program<br />
included activities such as organized<br />
team sports, games, arts <strong>and</strong> crafts, <strong>and</strong> swimming.<br />
The ratio of camp staff to children was<br />
approximately 1 to 5. The ratio of children<br />
with disabilities to children without disabilities<br />
was approximately 1 to 10. There were four<br />
two-week camp sessi<strong>on</strong>s in which approximately<br />
20 campers attended per sessi<strong>on</strong>. The<br />
study was implemented during two camp sessi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first <strong>and</strong> third of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sequence. During<br />
each camp sessi<strong>on</strong>, campers at three different<br />
sites were observed. Participants were<br />
summer day campers between five <strong>and</strong> ten<br />
years of age <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sisted of a combinati<strong>on</strong> of<br />
boys <strong>and</strong> girls. Table 1 displays participant<br />
characteristics, including age <strong>and</strong> gender.<br />
Children with disabilities. Recreati<strong>on</strong> coordinators<br />
were asked to mail an informati<strong>on</strong><br />
letter <strong>and</strong> a permissi<strong>on</strong> form to parents of all<br />
campers with disclosed disabilities, maintaining<br />
c<strong>on</strong>fidentiality until <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re was an agreement<br />
by parents for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir child to participate<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research. Three campers with disabilities<br />
participated in each camp sessi<strong>on</strong>, for a<br />
total of six campers with disabilities over all<br />
camp sites. All children with disabilities for<br />
whom a parental permissi<strong>on</strong> form was returned<br />
were potential participants. Severity of<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> disabilities ranged from mild to moderate.<br />
Children without disabilities. On <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first<br />
day of camp, campers without disabilities <strong>and</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir parents were approached. The research<br />
was explained <strong>and</strong> parents were asked if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
would allow <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir child to participate. If parents<br />
agreed to have <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir child participate,<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> letters <strong>and</strong> permissi<strong>on</strong> forms<br />
STAR Interventi<strong>on</strong> Program / 93