Participation of Children with Disabilities and Their Peers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Participation in all aspects of life is a right of children. However, in high-income countries, children with developmental disabilities (DD) are not afforded the same participation as their peers with typical development (TD). This can affect their life experiences and academic success. For children with DD, most of whom live in low- and middle–income countries (LMIC), understanding of how patterns of participation differ from their peers with TD is limited, which impacts how they are included in the classroom. This study described research on the participation of children with DD and their peers with TD in LMIC. A scoping review was conducted for studies on the participation of children with DD and their peers with TD from LMIC, using established assessments. Sixteen studies from eight middle-income countries were identified. These studies suggested that decreased participation for children with DD in comparison to their peers with TD was prevalent. Overall, the participation of children with DD and their peers with TD followed a similar pattern in the LMIC countries to that in high-income countries, with children with DD having lower participation in physical, social and skill-based activities, suggesting that the participation of children may follow universal patterns.