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Enabling participation in everyday life and supporting development are essential goals in occupational therapy of children and young people with intellectual disabilities (ID). To gather and evaluate evidence of the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for children with ID in terms of participation in everyday life. A literature search conducted using electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed and EMBASE) from January 2000 to May 2020. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Quality of evidence was critically appraised with the GRADE. The search yielded 4741 records, of which 15 studies met the inclusion criteria: 3 randomized controlled trials, 3 case–control studies, 2 case series and 7 case reports. The studies were diverse in quality. The evidence is inconclusive because of the limited amount of methodologically robust studies. Results support the notion that occupational therapy in daily environments for children with ID may enhances participation in everyday activities. Further research with appropriate study designs and outcome measurements is needed. Although the research evidence was limited, the results encourage focussing on occupational therapy for children with ID to enhance participation in school and home environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Few multidisciplinary rehabilitation studies with a heterogeneous design have focused on individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study compared subjective-reported changes in performance and satisfaction with daily activities among moderately and severely disabled individuals with MS during a 2-year, multidisciplinary, group-based, outpatient rehabilitation program comprising education in self-management and compensatory techniques, exercise, and guided peer support. METHODS: Thirty-eight adults with moderate disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score of 4.0-5.5, 74% women, mean age of 48) and 41 individuals with severe disability (EDSS 6.0-8.5, 63% women, mean age of 48) were assessed at baseline and after 12 and 21 months of outpatient rehabilitation using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Group x time interactions were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance. Participants' explanations of reasons for changes in activity performance were collected via semistructured interviews and analyzed content. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements in COPM performance and satisfaction scores were reported in both groups from baseline to 21 months of rehabilitation. No significant between-group differences in improvement were observed. The self-reported reasons for improvement were mainly linked to environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS: The outpatient rehabilitation program, including 4 themes--cognition, mood, energy conservation, and body control--improved the self-reported performance of patients with MS with moderate and severe disabilities. Environmental factors warrant consideration during rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To validate the activities and participation components of The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 113 Finnish community-dwelling persons with MS were assessed using a semi-structured interview provided by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to capture participants' self-perceived problems in everyday activities and participation. Problems were linked to the ICF categories. Results: Participants identified 527 of the most important occupational performance problems. They covered all chapters of the ICF Activities and Participation components. Forty-one categories out of a total 53 ICF activities and participation categories of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set and four out of five categories of the Brief ICF Core Set were reported on by the participants. The most common category in this sample, 'd920 Recreation and leisure' (145 problems/27.5%), is not included in the Brief ICF Core Set. Conclusions: Most, but not all, ICF activities and participation categories of the ICF Core Sets for MS could be confirmed from the perspective of persons with MS. It is worth considering to add category 'd920 Recreation and leisure' to the Brief ICF Core Set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]