The interrelation between children's play behaviour, temperament, and special educational needs (SEN) in early childhood special education (ECSE)

The aim of this study is to identify if childrens play behaviour, temperament, and special educational needs (SEN) are interrelated. It is important to increase the awareness of the joint effects of temperament and SEN on behaviour so that early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers can provide the appropriate support for children with SEN and optimally guide their development. This study is a part of an early childhood special education (ECSE) project at the University of Helsinki. Childrens (N = 332) educational needs were divided into four status groups: language disorders, self-regulatory difficulties, severe disabilities, and children without SEN. The temperament of each child was evaluated by their parents and play behaviour observed by ECSE teachers. The results show that children without SEN had more effortful control and social play than children with SEN. In addition, there were significant differences in temperament and play behaviour between the different SEN groups.