The Use of Photographs as a Means of Obtaining Views of Occupational Therapy Held by Children with Learning Disabilities: A Pilot Study

Abstract

As an adjunct to a pilot project on the use of Goal Attainment Scaling in occupational therapy for children with learning disabilities, children's views of therapeutic intervention were explored. These were investigated by means of interviews held at the residential special school that the children attended and were carried out by a therapist who was unknown to them.

During the interview, six photographs (three therapy and three non-therapy related) were presented. Each child's response was recorded by the interviewer. Despite the seven children having emotional and behavioural difficulties, all cooperated during the interviews, looking at the photographs and not displaying any challenging behaviour. When the children's responses were categorised in terms of their unique styles of communication, more positive reactions to the photographs relating to occupational therapy than to the others were noted. It is acknowledged, however, that further development work is required in order to establish the reliability and validity of the method.