Children with mobility difficulties are thought to share similar participation repertoires due to the impact of their physical impairments. However, with these children, as with all others, individual differences and contexts should mediate occupational repertoires and experiences, resulting in participation differences, at least in part. This study aimed to explore the occupational repertoires of children with mobility difficulties and their view of their occupational participation.
Methods
Five children with mobility difficulties were assessed using the paediatric activity card sort, to establish their occupational repertoires. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand the children’s occupational participation.
Findings
Our findings suggest that children with mobility issues are more likely to participate in quiet occupations, but not exclusively. The children defined participation in their own way.
Conclusion
The knowledge about how children with mobility difficulties understand participation in occupation can help occupational therapists to establish goals with their clients and personalise interventions.
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