Parent perspectives on home participation of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder compared with a matched group of children without autism spectrum disorder.

Few studies have focused on home participation of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. We employed a mixed-methods design to explore and compare parent perspectives on (1) participation of children with and without autism spectrum disorder in activities at home, (2) the environmental features and resources that affect these children's home participation and (3) the strategies parents use to help their children participate at home. The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) was used to gather online survey and qualitative data from parents of 99 high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder and 241 children without autism spectrum disorder. Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to explore differences between groups, and Cohen's d was calculated to examine effect sizes. Differences were obtained on all Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth dimensions but particularly when comparing parents' satisfaction and perceived environmental barriers to their children's participation. The qualitative analyses revealed that parents in both groups used similar strategies to facilitate their children's participation at home, although parents of children with autism spectrum disorder made use of more distinct modifications. Our results highlight the importance of environmental aspects and point to how practitioners can support families in their efforts to promote their child's participation at home.

Community participation and environment of children with and without autism spectrum disorder: parent perspectives.

AIM: This study explored parent perspectives of participation patterns and environmental supports and barriers for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within their communities compared with a group of children without ASD. METHOD: The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth was used to gather online data from parents of 99 children with ASD and 241 children without ASD. Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square tests were used to explore differences between groups and Cohen's d was calculated to examine effect sizes. RESULTS: Significant differences between children with and without ASD were observed for all participation and environment summary scores. Children with ASD participated less frequently, were less involved, and their parents were less satisfied with their child's participation in community-based activities. Parents of children with ASD also identified fewer supports for their child's participation and more environmental barriers than other parents. CONCLUSION: Children with ASD participated less in community-related activities than children without ASD as perceived by their parents. Barriers limiting community participation included features of the social and physical environment and limited resources. SIGNIFICANCE: Occupational therapists should focus on decreasing environmental challenges in their efforts to facilitate participation of children with ASD in the community.