School participation, supports and barriers of students with and without disabilities.

BACKGROUND: We compared school participation patterns of students ages 5-17 with and without disabilities and examined whether features of the school environment were perceived to help or hinder their participation. METHODS: Parents (n = 576) residing in the USA and Canada completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) via the internet. RESULTS: Parents of students with disabilities reported that their children participated less frequently in school clubs and organizations and getting together with peers outside the classroom and that they were less involved in all school activities. Parents of students with disabilities also were significantly more likely to report that features of the environment hindered school participation and that resources needed to support their child's participation were not adequate. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of students with disabilities report that their children are participating less in important school-related activities. Barriers limiting school participation include features of the physical and social environment as well as limited resources.

Family-centred service: moving ideas into practice.

BACKGROUND: With parents more involved in their child's day-to-day care, concepts of family-centred service (FCS) are increasingly adopted in children's health and rehabilitation service organizations. METHODS: In this paper, we report the results of a study to develop and evaluate educational materials for parents, service providers and health sciences students about FCS. The materials focus on the nature and philosophy of FCS, and the practical skills and systemic changes required for its implementation. RESULTS: Thirty-six participants (12 families, 12 service providers and 12 rehabilitation science students) were randomly assigned to receive one of the six FCS educational packages, each containing three FCS educational sheets. Participants' ratings of the format and content, and the impact of the FCS Sheets were very high, with overall means above 5.0 on a 7-point scale. Using a mixed model analysis, we found significant differences in participants' ratings of familiarity with the materials (students were less familiar than service providers). After statistical adjustment for familiarity, there were no significant differences between the groups or the packages on ratings of format and content or impact. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in the way in which the participant groups rated the impact of the FCS Sheets and the specific packages did not have an effect on the participants' ratings. The FCS educational materials, even those less familiar to participants, were rated highly on format and content, and impact. Results indicate that the material was perceived to be important to each group, and was formatted and written in a way that was easy to understand. This finding counters current recommendations in the knowledge transfer literature that suggest different versions should be written for different target groups.

The clinical utility of the test of playfulness.

Occupational therapists' increased focus on play as an occupation has created a need for play assessments that reflect this perspective. This study examined the clinical utility of the recently developed Test of Playfulness (ToP) (Bundy, 1997a) when used with children with disabilities. Changes in the participant's views of the child, the therapy goals, and the intervention plans after using the ToP were explored. Fourteen paediatric occupational therapists assessed children using the ToP, completed a clinical utility questionnaire and attended a focus group. Participants found the ToP easy to administer and score, however some found interpreting the results difficult. The ToP highlights the interactions between the Child, activity and environment, and illustrates the child's strengths in his/her role as a player. The results suggest the ToP is a useful tool for assessing playfulness. Additional education and research is needed to provide further direction for intervention and incorporation into practice.