2022 Volume 25 Pages 73-90
This study aimed to clarify the factors associated with consensus building among children with developmental disabilities in a long-term adventure camp, as well as to present helpful findings for instructional use among camp counselors. For this purpose, a multi-case study of four children with developmental disabilities who participated in a long-term adventure camp was conducted. The results showed that consensus building in long-term adventure camps took three typical patterns: “conforming to a stronger opinion/making the other party conform,” “reaching a consensus together,” and “not reaching a consensus.” Further examination of the episodes categorized under “reaching a consensus together” also revealed that the process by which a group attempts reaching consensus is influenced by the three factors characterizing the long-term adventure camp: the presence of counselors, the absolute power of nature, and the power of the group. For children with developmental disabilities who have been prone to failures of consensus building in the past, having the experience of “reaching a consensus together” with their peers during a long-term camp, as well as accomplishing tasks through the exchange of opinions with others, will serve as a significant experience of success. A long-term adventure camp, in which people spend time with their peers in nature, which can at times be a challenging experience, was shown to be a place where the consensus building ability of children with developmental disabilities could be fostered, which will in turn serve to improve their ability to live harmoniously with others.
