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Aim: The aim of this review was to synthesize empirical evidence of family factors associated with participation of children with disabilities aged 5 to 12 years to inform the development of family-centred participation-fostering interventions., Method: A systematic search was performed for articles published in English between 2001 and 2017 in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and ASSIA following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality of evidence was appraised using the Research Triangle Institute Item Bank. Family factors associated with participation were identified and assessed using a multistage 'semi-quantitative' approach., Results: Thirty studies were included in the review. Four non-modifiable 'status' factors consistently associated with participation were parental ethnicity, parental education, family type, and family socio-economic status. Six modifiable 'process' factors with consistent associations with participation were parental mental and physical health functioning, parental self-efficacy beliefs, parental support, parental time, family preferences, and activity orientation., Interpretation: Rehabilitation professionals should direct their focus towards modifiable family factors as primary targets for family-centred interventions. Strategies that can improve families' access to information, counselling, and community support services are likely to support children's participation by empowering families and optimizing their health and well-being., What This Paper Adds: Non-modifiable 'status' and modifiable 'process' factors are important in participation of children with disabilities. Disadvantaged family circumstances shaped by status factors are associated with reduced participation. Key process factors for intervention are parental mental and physical health and parental self-efficacy beliefs. Other important process factors for intervention are parental support and time, family preferences, and activity orientation., (© 2018 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Mac Keith Press.)

Background: Parents provide valuable information on their experiences of engaging with therapy services for their children, which can inform the future development of these services. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of parents who had accessed therapy services for their child with developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)., Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted incorporating 52 parents who had a child diagnosed with, or fitting the diagnostic criteria for DCD. Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed thematically., Findings: Parents reported struggling to gain access to therapy services. When they gained access, they found the services beneficial for their child but continued to experience difficulties regarding the quality of service delivery., Conclusions/implications: The study suggests that parents thought some health-care professionals lacked knowledge and understanding of DCD, which they believed impacted upon early recognition and access to services. They perceived that therapy at an early age was vital for children's development, and indicated that a clearer path for accessing these services was necessary in addition to improved service quality. They called for an increase in awareness of DCD by all therapy service professionals to aid early recognition and improved treatment., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Involvement of parents in their children's pain management is universally accepted as best practice, yet there is little understanding of their needs. Twelve parents of children with chronic pain were recruited to this study in which the impact of caring for a child with chronic pain was explored. All parents started in distress, and most moved into a stance that enabled them to balance the child's needs with their own. These parents discussed "stepping back" from their child's distress and gaining mastery over fearful emotional reactions. A minority remained in distress, finding an adaptive response to the child's pain challenging. Catastrophic thinking, fear of pain, and the desire to fulfill a nurturing parental role led parents to place themselves continually "on call." Findings indicate that parents might require support to care effectively for their children, and that many of the actions necessitated by children's pain require complex and counterintuitive decisions.

The article discusses a study to develop a comprehensive procedure for continued assessment of children aged between of 0-18 years with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The authors have designed a pathway incorporating 6 key performance indicators (KPIs) including a standardized classroom observation schedule, structured and equitable training opportunities and access to paediatric and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) occupational therapy where appropriate.