PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT CEREBRAL PALSY ACROSS SETTINGS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine differences in participation of children/youth with and without cerebral palsy (CP) across home, school, and community settings, and examine participation of children with CP across age groups, sex, and gross motor function in those settings.

Number of Subjects: Total = 40 participants: 20 parents of children without CP and 20 parents of children with CP

Materials/Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to collect parent-reported survey via an anonymous survey, included demographic questions and questions from the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth© (PEM-CY).

Results: Significantly greater frequency of participation at home and in community was found in children without CP. Participation at school was not significantly different between the groups and there were no significant differences in level of involvement and sex. In children with CP, motor function impacted participation in home and school and age significantly influenced school participation.

Conclusions: Aligning with prior research, this study suggests that frequency of participation in children with CP is less than children without CP and is affected by gross motor function; however, children are equally involved when they did participate. Unlike previous study results, school participation between children with and without CP was not significantly different, but was impacted by age. Larger population-based or case-controlled studies are recommended using the PEM-CY© to further explore the impact of environment on participation.

Clinical Relevance: Participation data could help clinicians identify patterns and develop intervention plans that focus on maximizing child participation in all settings.