Object play and exploration in children with and without disabilities: a longitudinal study.

The development of object play was examined in 40 children (20 with and 20 without disabilities). The children with disabilities were assessed at ages 11, 15, 19, and 27 months; the children without disabilities, at 6, 11, 15, and 27 months. At each assessment, the children were videotaped during 20 minutes of play with their mothers in a controlled environment. Child's play level was positively related to developmental age for the disabled group at each assessment and for the nondisabled group at 6, 11, and 15 months of age. The types of object play observed in children with no disabilities were observed in the children with disabilities at comparable developmental ages. In a subsample matched for developmental age, the duration and frequency of active involvement with objects were greater for the children without disabilities than for the children with disabilities.