[Independence within reach. Ergotherapy treatment of children with a congenital reduction defect]

The occupational therapy department of the University Hospital of Leiden treats a relatively large number of children, born with a dysmelia of the forearm. This article has been written to give information about the possibilities to supply these children with a prosthesis, and how this effects their level of independence. A short description of occupational therapy and the working of a myoelectric prosthesis will be followed by a case-study of a boy with plural congenital reduction defects. He needs several prosthesis and aids to become (mainly) independent of the help from others. It will be described how aids are made and tested, and how the prosthesis is used. The case-study illustrates that the different demands and desires which are demanded from prosthesis and aids, are related to the age and developmental level of the child.