Occupational therapy intervention for the adolescent with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is a chronic disease capable of producing significant physical and psychosocial disabilities. Consequently, the achievement of the normal developmental tasks of adolescence is often laborious and delayed in the young person with JRA. Literature has documented this delay but has not proposed intervention strategies specific to this population. This paper will discuss psychosocial and role adjustment problems typical of the adolescent with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, then present treatment strategies to facilitate the acquisition of selected developmental tasks as defined by Havighurst.