Abstract
Although integrated schooling has been recommended, there have been few researches on social interaction of preschool children, a core subject of such schooling. Thus, we attempted a pioneering research on social interaction of young children with and without disabilities in integrated preschools and observed remarkable differences in the social behavioral characteristics involving physical contact. Then further analyses were made aiming at exploring into the meanings of physical contact in integrated preschool; 200 nursery schoolers including 23 children with disabilities were videotaped and then 29 scenes involving physical contacts were selected and qualitatively analyzed.
Consequently it was confirmed that physical contact between healthy children helped them realize their peer relationship, arouse interest in their bodies and confirm their roles, or it has significant meanings as “establishment of peer relationship and invitation to play” and“interest in, attention to peers and recognition of their role” while the physical contact between children with and without disabilities has such meanings as “recognizing peers as real existence and invitation to play” as they confirm each other's existence through physical contact while playing, “ruling and controlling of behaviors through physical communication” as healthy children control the behaviors of disabled children by touching them and “acceptance of physical bodies as they are” as children didn't consider interaction with disabled bodies as negative experience.
To encourage disabled children to participate in social activities and feel happiness in their childhood, nurses should adovocate the importance of PEER that has been paid little attention to as a potential social resource.
