Children's play has recently received much attention and its importance also has been
increasingly emphasized in the field of research. Not only has it a great influence on
cognitive and social development of children but also it provides children with
opportunities to interact with objects, peers, and adults so that children can learn adequate
social behaviors. As such, it becomes more important when it comes to the handicapped
children who are retarded in many respects than normal children.
The current study reviewed the recent literature on the developmentally delayed
children's cognitive and social play, keeping in the mind the importance of play. In fact,
the handicapped children, though play, can interact and play with normal children, thereby
reaching integration more easily.
The review reveals that play not only has a great importance on children's development
but also has close relations with cognitive and social development of the handicapped
children. Therefore, it is possible to make an assessment, diagnosis or evaluation of the
degrees of development by watching them playing in the fields. In addition, the review
implies not only that you can teach and develop play of children but also that the
handicapped children may play well with normal children in the integrated situation.