Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Page 52

PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES BJOT NEXT ISSUE The April issue of BJOT is the second part of a two-part special issue on ‘Optimising children’s participation for health and wellbeing’, edited by Catherine McBryde and Jenny Ziviani. Part two of the special issue focuses on some of the barriers and facilitators to optimal participation. The featured research papers highlight occupational therapy interventions, and physical conditions and diagnoses; some that challenge and others that enhance children’s participation in their desired activities. In the first of the articles Bhopti et al examine the impact caring for a child with a disability had on parents’ participation in their own occupations. Their mixed methods research design examined the factors influencing Family Quality of Life (FQOL) using a questionnaire and qualitative interviews. In their systematic review, Arakelyn et al examine the family factors impacting on the participation of children with disabilities, concluding that increased levels of parent support resulted in an increased likelihood of children with cerebral palsy participating in leisure activities. An example of an approach that has the potential to enhance or facilitate participation is animal assisted therapy (AAT). Hill and colleagues provide a critical reflection on the practice of incorporating AAT into occupational therapy practice for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The social and emotional benefits of AAT include increased participation in occupational therapy intervention, increased social engagement and greater use of verbal language. Of concern, however, is the current lack of appropriate training, guidelines for practice and a suitable accreditation process. Hunt and colleagues report on positive changes in occupational performance and participation investigated the impact of a six-week active rehabilitation intervention on 52 young people aged between nine and 18 years who had experienced a concussion. The programme was based on emerging evidence suggesting that engaging in physical activity supports recovery of cognitive function following a brain injury. and relaxation exercises and were asked to complete the program daily at home. Other articles in this special issue outline the impact of a disruption to body structures and functions on a child’s ability to participate in meaningful occupations. Davis et al (2020) conducted a Paediatric Activity Card Sort assessment and semi-structured interviews with five children aged between seven and 12 years, who presented with mobility difficulties and used a type of mobility support. 52 OTnews March 2020 They report that the kinds of occupations the children engaged in and the intensity of their participation in tasks including sports, schoolwork and hobbies, was reduced when compared to their typically developing peers. When asked about the barriers to their involvement, the children identified themselves and their physical limitations rather than the environment per se. Sims et al aimed to develop an understanding of the perceptions of children and youth on their upper limb prostheses in relation to daily activities. They identified that prostheses can both facilitate and inhibit participation. The upper limb prosthesis was identified as increasing participation in practical applications such as sports or playing a musical instrument and, interestingly, was also identified as enhancing social participation. The conclusions reiterate the importance of a client-centred goal-directed approach in enabling positive outcomes that enhance participation. Payne et al interviewed nine adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years about how the diagnosis of Developmental Co- ordination Disorder (DCD) affected them at home, at school and in their leisure pursuits. They were asked to identify the personal and environmental factors that impacted on their performance and on their feelings of self-efficacy. Participants identified their reduced motor, cognitive processing and social interaction skills as having the greatest impact. The special issue concludes with a systematic review conducted by O’Dea et al, which examined the effectiveness of interventions specifically to improve participation rather than task- oriented outcomes for children with DCD. Results indicated that there was currently little evidence that any of the interventions evaluated resulted in improved participation outcomes. Those interventions that did enhance participation used a goal-setting measure such as the COPM. All articles are published online at the journal’s OnlineFirst page as soon as ready. Visit BJOT via your member login at www.rcot.co.uk to browse these and other recent publications in full (please go via the RCOT website links to the journal). We have a new call for articles for a special issue on mental health, guest edited by Mona Eklund. For more information visit: http://journals.sagepub.com/page/bjo/call-for-papers.