Children with diverse physical, communication and/or cognitive impairments are often overlooked as active research participants. This paper challenges and lays bare norms and constructs, such as ableism and adultism, which lead to children with disabilities being left out or researched by-proxy. Additionally, the paper contests these constructs through discussing and presenting participant-centred research methods that seeks to enable children’s involvement and establish them as legitimate research participants. The application of these methods in children geography studies is illustrated through the author’s own use of creative methods of activity-based interviews and co-construction narration with older children with various physical/neurological impairments. Overall, the aim of the paper is to bridge some gaps, dispel assumptions and inspire researchers with additional ways of conceptualising and approaching research with children with disabilities, since the inclusion of all children in research rests with researchers and their understanding and use of appropriate research methods.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	children, disability studies, participatory methods, complex communication needs, child-centric research, participation, methods, disability, voice
Research Division:	Built Environment and Design
Research Group:	Urban and regional planning
Research Field:	Public participation and community engagement
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Community services
Objective Field:	Ability and disability
UTAS Author:	Stafford, L (Dr Lisa Stafford)
ID Code:	149322
Year Published:	2017
Web of Science® Times Cited:	39
Deposited By:	Geography and Spatial Science
Deposited On:	2022-03-24
Last Modified:	2022-05-13
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