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Purpose: To explore participation in real-life activities during early childhood, compare children’s partici- pation based on motor function and investigate relationships between participation and parental empowerment.

Methods: Data derived from the Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program (CPOP) in Norway and the research registry Habilitation Trajectories, Interventions, and Services for Young Children with CP (CPHAB). Fifty-six children (12–56 months, GMFCS levels I–IV, MACS levels I–V) and their families were included. Frequency and enjoyment of participation were assessed by the Child Engagement in Daily Life Questionnaire and parental empowerment in family and service situations by the Family Empowerment Scale at least twice during the preschool years. Differences between groups based on motor function were explored by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. A linear mixed model was conducted to explore relationships between child partici- pation and parental empowerment.

Results: Similarities and differences in participation between children at different motor function levels varied between the activities explored. Fluctuations in frequency and stable enjoyment scores over time were most common. A statistically significant relationship was revealed between child participation and parental empowerment in family situations, but not in service situations.

Conclusions: Child participation appears as context-dependent and complexly influenced by both motor function and parental empowerment. This supports a focus on transactional processes when exploring and promoting child participation.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the experiences of people with Parkinson’s disease and their close communication partners regarding disease-related communicative changes and participation in everyday conversations.

Materials and methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with six dyads consisting of a person with Parkinson’s disease and a close communication partner. The interview material was analysed through thematic analysis.

Results: The main theme was the experiences of barriers and facilitators for participation in conversations. Subthemes were experiences related to changes in voice and articulation, language and cognition, body language and facial expressions, fatigue, self-image, communicative initiative, and familiarity with conversation partner. The results show individual variation. A change observed in almost all dyads was the person with Parkinson’s disease participating less in conversations.

Conclusions: Assessment and interventions should be based on a broad perspective on communication, and individuals’ priorities should be foregrounded in intervention planning. Both the person with Parkinson’s disease and communication partners need to make adjustments for communication to work. Therefore, close communication partners should be included in assessment and intervention of communication in Parkinson’s disease from an early stage.

Aim: Participation of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder hardly occurs in settings outside of home and school. Little is known about how their participation is influenced by environmental factors. This study explored how and why adolescents with autism spectrum disorder perceive aspects of their environment as facilitators or barriers to their participation outside of home and school.

Method: This explanatory case study explored the participation experiences of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (15–21 years) from Zurich and surroundings with in-depth interviews and photo-elicitation, using photos made by the participants during activities outside of home and school. Data was analysed with a 7-step procedure.

Result: The presence of two main themes seemed necessary to facilitate participation outside of home and school: “environmental prerequisites to attend activities”, which consists of five subthemes, such as “the company of trusted persons” and “the provision of knowledge and information”, and “social interchange and engagement”, which consists of three subthemes and describes how actual involvement can be supported.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the influence of trusted persons on adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, and the need to extend the support network for these adolescents to other individuals, services and society so that their participation in activities can be encouraged.

Aim: To conduct a detailed investigation into changes in activity limitations and participation restrictions over 10 years in people with mild, moderate and severe multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This study was a 10-year longitudinal study of 264 people with multiple sclerosis living in Stockholm County, Sweden. Ten-year changes in personal and instrumental activities in daily living were assessed using the Katz Activities in Daily Living Index Extended and participation in social/lifestyle activities using the Frenchay Activities Index.

Results: While people with moderate multiple sclerosis, compared to baseline, demonstrated significantly higher proportions of dependency in most activities of personal and instrumental activities in daily living at the 10-year follow-up, the mild group primarily increased their dependency in instrumental activities and the severe group in personal activities. Significantly higher proportions of the moderate group showed restricted participation in domestic and outdoor activities whereas the mild group only showed restrictions in a few domains of participation. A majority of people with severe multiple sclerosis showed restricted participation in all social/lifestyle activities at baseline and the 10-year follow-up.

Conclusions: Prominent long-term increases in activity limitations and participation restrictions occurred across the spectrum of disease severity but was most pronounced in those more moderately affected.

Purpose: Restrictions to activity and participation in persons with cerebral palsy or spina bifida are often due to both motor and executive dysfunction. Hence methods focusing solely on motor issues are not enough to enhance participation. The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance ApproachTM is a performance-based approach offering clients opportunities to create their own strategies to learn skills. The aim of the present study was to explore and describe experiences of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach as reported by young adults with cerebral palsy or spina bifida.

Methods: Qualitative content analysis was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with the 10 participants aged 16–28, post-intervention and at 6-months follow-up.

Results: The participants described how the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach enhanced their self-efficacy. Four categories describing the participants’ experiences emerged: “CO-OP is a different way of learning”, “CO-OP sometimes puts a strain on me”, “CO-OP supports my way of thinking and doing” and “CO-OP boosts me”.

Conclusion: The young adults expressed that the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance intervention, although sometimes challenging, was worth the effort because it provided them with an opportunity to master everyday-life problems by using meta-cognitive thinking, which enhanced their self-efficacy.

Purpose: The efficacy of a community-based mentoring program for adolescents with a visual impairment vs. care-as-usual was tested on social participation including satisfaction with social support.

Materials and methods: Adolescents (15–22 years; 46% boys) were randomized to an intervention group with mentors with visual impairment (N = 25), an intervention group with mentors without visual impairment (N = 26), or care-as-usual (N = 25). One-on-one mentoring activities regarded school/work, leisure activities, and social relationships.

Results and conclusions: Multilevel growth modelling revealed no effect of mentoring on changes in social participation compared to the care-as-usual group (participation [95% CI –0.30, 0.21, d = 0.1]; social participation composite [95% CI –0.24, 0.26, d = 0.24]). Mentees matched to mentors with visual impairments increased more on satisfaction with their social support compared to mentees matched to mentors without impairments and the care-as-usual group [95% CI 0.02, 0.49, d = 0.38]. Age, characteristics of the impairment, and number of match meetings were not associated with change in social participation during the mentoring program. This evaluation showed no benefit of mentoring for social participation of adolescents with a visual impairment. The value of mentors and mentees sharing the same disability needs further investigation. This trial is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register NTR4768.

Background and purpose: The increase in use of everyday information and communication technologies can lead to the need for health professionals to incorporate technology use competencies in practice. Information and communication technologies has the potential to improve participation in daily life among people with disability. The aim was to review and describe evidence of the use of information and communication technology, including mobile technology, for improving participation in everyday life. A secondary aim was to describe how study outcomes were related to participation.

Materials and methods: A scoping review methodology was used to identify studies through databases as MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library. Thereafter, the studies were screened and assessed for inclusion.

Results: Eleven studies were included. The most commonly used technology were videoconferencing and the telephone. Ten of the 11 studies reported a change in participation in everyday life. Participation was mainly described as involvement in a life situation or related to activities of daily living.

Conclusion: Delivering an intervention to improve participation through information and communication technology can be a valid option in rehabilitation. There is a need to measure and describe the intervention and its outcomes in relation to a definition of participation in future studies.

Purpose: Stigmatisation can negatively affect opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in society. Stereotyping, a first step in the process of stigmatisation, has been insufficiently explored for people with intellectual disabilities. This study examined the general public’s set of stereotypes that is saliently attributed to people with intellectual disabilities as well as the relationship of these stereotypes with discriminatory intentions and familiarity.

Materials and methods: A mixed-method cross-sectional survey within a representative sample of the Dutch population (n = 892) was used. Stereotypes were analysed with factor analysis of a trait-rating scale, and qualitative analysis of an open-ended question. The relationship between stereotypes and discrimination as well as familiarity with people with intellectual disabilities was explored through multivariate analyses.

Results and conclusions: Four stereotype-factors appeared: “friendly”, “in need of help”, “unintelligent”, and “nuisance”. Stereotypes in the “nuisance” factor seemed unimportant due to their infrequent report in the open-ended question. “Friendly”, “in need of help”, “unintelligent” were found to be salient stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities due to their frequent report. The stereotypes did not relate to high levels of explicit discrimination. Yet due to the both positive and negative valence of the stereotypes, subtle forms of discrimination may be expected such as limited opportunities for choice and self-determination. This may affect opportunities for rehabilitation and might be challenged by protest-components within anti-stigma efforts.

Purpose: Explore managers’ experiences regarding employees with hearing impairments.

Materials and methods: Individual interviews with ten managers having employees with hearing impairment. The interviews were analyzed using Systematic text condensation.

Results: The managers felt great responsibility for their employees’ functioning, but hearing loss issues were easily forgotten. They found access to information as imperative to secure workplace adjustments, and temporary needs, rather than permanent ones, were easily met. Despite their challenging nature, meetings were not accommodated to meet hearing loss needs. Support in accommodation processes at the workplace was not requested since minor adjustments were perceived as sufficient.

Conclusion: The results show that there are barriers towards developing less strenuous working conditions for employees with hearing impairments. The implications of hearing loss should be recognized as risk factors for fatigue and treated accordingly. Appropriate services are necessary to support the stakeholders at the workplace and utilize the room for manoeuver in the accommodation process. Further studies should identify how such services can accommodate both the employees, and managers’ needs.