The purpose of the study was to compare physical activity levels of children with and without mental retardation. Thirty-four children were assessed in an inclusive recess setting and monitored for heart rate, activity counts and observational activity levels. Based on the data analysis, boys demonstrated significantly higher values on all comparisons. Boys with mental retardation demonstrated higher activity counts and heart rates than boys without mental retardation while no group differences were apparent on the observational checklist. It was concluded that an inclusive, non-structured recess setting appears to encourage and facilitate physical activity for children with mental retardation.
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