189 Effects of Toys or Group Composition for Children With Disabilities: A Synthesis AE-HWA KIM & SHARON VAUGHN University of Texas at Austin BATYA ELBAUM University of Miami MARIE TEJERO HUGHES University of Illinois at Chicago CLAIRE V. MORRIS SLOAN & DHEEPA SRIDHAR University of Texas at Austin This synthesis reviewed the findings of 13 intervention studies, published between 1975 and June 1999, that examined the effects of manipulation of toys or group composition on social behaviors of 3- to 5-year-old children with disabilities. The purpose, participants, intervention, measurement, and findings of each study are described. An analysis of study outcomes is provided for (a) toy effect, (b) group composition effect, and (c) toy effect combined with group composition effect. Positive outcomes were associated with children’s playing with social toys and play groups that included children with and without disabilities. The social behavior of most preschool chil- dren with disabilities differs from that of typ- ically developing peers. Children with dis- abilities often do not acquire needed social skills vicariously through observation of peers (Jenkins, Speltz, & Odom, 1985; Rogers, Ruggles, Peterson, & Cooper, 1981); there- fore, they cannot be expected to acquire social skills merely through placement with peers who are typically developing (Buysse & Bai- ley, 1993; Jenkins et al., 1985). Preschool children’s social behaviors are often manifested through play, because play is an important aspect of their lives that facili- tates the development of social, cognitive, af- fective, physical, and language abilities (McCabe, Jenkins, Mills, Dale, & Cole, 1999; Torrey, 1987). However, the play of children with disabilities differs from that of peers who are typically developing. Children with dis- abilities engage in more solitary play and non- play behavior and less cooperative play when compared to peers who are typically devel- oping. Also, they have more difficulty spon- taneously interacting with other children (De- voney, Guralnick, & Rubin, 1974; Federlein, 1979; Guralnick & Groom, 1987b; Mindes, 1982). Furthermore, relative to children who are typically developing, children with dis- abilities are more likely to engage in lower cognitive levels of plays (i.e., functional play) than higher cognitive levels of plays (i.e., con- structive and dramatic play; Guralnick, Con- nor, Hammond, Gottman, & Kinnish, 1995; Johnson & Ershler, 1985). These differences in social behaviors might be significant enough to deter typically-developing peers from choosing a child with a disability as a play partner (Dunn, 1991; Peck & Cooke, 1983). Children with disabilities are not al-