The present study discussed the role of peer interaction, in a free-play situation, to the development of children with special needs. The interactions between visually impaired children (low vision or blindness), most of them with additional organic problems and/or learning difficulties, were observed in a free-play situation. The investigation of episodes which were representative of different abilities of the children lead to the identification of two categories: (a) ways of playing (individually or in group), and (b) kinds of relationships between peers (friendly or agonistic). The analysis pointed to peer interaction as an important contributing factor to the development of children with special needs and suggested that free-play situations can constitute favorable settings for the construction of those interactions.
Visual and multiple impairments; make-believe play; peer interaction; special education