Editorial [to Copii de Azi Sunt Parintii de Maine, vol. 47-48]

The play of children with disabilities is an area recently brought to the forefront of the scientific research and continuously developing, also thanks to the work of the COST Action on this theme entitled LUDI (www.cost.eu/TD1309). Play is in fact recognized as the most important engine for the development of all children, but in some cases it might result difficult to be exploited by children with disabilities. This is mainly due to the fact that the environment is generally not prepared to face their needs and their particular ways of functioning, thus disadvantaging and restricting their opportunities to grow and to take part to their peers’ life at large. Greater awareness must arise among the professionals of the involved fields, to ensure that play, a right of all children according to the United Nations, can be assured also to children with disabilities. Educators, professionals of rehabilitation, medicine and psychology should put more and specialized attention to these aspects, should become more competent in supporting the creation of effective and playful ludic relationships, both in families and in the other life environments of the child. New educational and psychological instruments to assess and implement ludic activities should be developed. Studies in the related fields should increase. Market available toys should become more accessible, while the development of new tools and technologies to support children’s play should be designed within the usability and accessibility frameworks. Play for children with disabilities is patently located at a crossroad of different research and practice fields: psychology, pedagogy, health and rehabilitation sciences, juridical and social sciences, assistive technologies, robotics, design and other ones. As a consequence, the papers to be published in this Special Issue can come from any discipline related to the theme of children with disabilities and play, including the technological ones. We welcome abstracts concerning settings, tools and methodologies associated to the play of children with different types of disabilities from educational researches, clinical initiatives, social and juridical studies, know-how of resources centres and users’ associations. We are also interested in abstracts addressed to usability and accessibility of toys and technologies for play.