PATTERNS OF FAMILY RECREATION IN FAMILIES THAT INCLUDE CHILDREN WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY

Grounded in the naturalistic paradigm, the present exploratory study e mployed survey (n = 65) and interview (n = 16) methods to examine patt erns of family recreation in families including children with developm ental disabilities, Statistical analyses were conducted on the quantit ative data, while a key theme and constant comparative method was used to analyze the qualitative data. Three patterns (all family, sub-unit , and equal combination) were identified as characteristic of the fami ly recreation of the families included in this study. The sub-unit pat tern predominated and typically involved mothers in activities with th eir children with a developmental disability or all of their children. Furthermore, family recreation was family-initiated, informal, and oc curred with equal frequency in home and community settings. Variations in patterns of family recreation associated with child (e.g., age, bi rth order) and family (e.g., income, employment status) specific chara cteristics were also presented.