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Differences in Meaning of Occupations Between Children With and Without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Limor Rosenberg1, Adi Cohen Erez1

  • 1Tel Aviv University, Israel.

OTJR : Occupation, Participation and Health
|May 13, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders perceive occupations differently than peers. Enhancing autonomy and value in activities improves participation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Area of Science:

  • Occupational therapy
  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatric neurology

Background:

  • Meaningful occupations are crucial for children's participation.
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may alter children's perception of occupations.
  • Understanding these differences is key to optimizing therapeutic interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare dimensions of occupational meaning (challenge, value, felt time, autonomy) between children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • To examine the association between these meaning dimensions and participation in both groups.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty children with ASD/ADHD and 30 typically developing children (mean age 9.37 years) participated.
  • Children self-reported on the meaning of occupations.
  • Parents reported on their children's participation.

Main Results:

  • Children with neurodevelopmental disorders reported significantly different meanings of occupations compared to typically developing peers (large effect size).
  • For children with neurodevelopmental disorders, the value and autonomy dimensions of occupational meaning were positively correlated with participation.
  • No significant correlations were found for challenge or felt time dimensions.

Conclusions:

  • Children with neurodevelopmental disorders ascribe distinct meanings to occupations.
  • Occupational therapists should prioritize fostering autonomy and engagement in valued activities to enhance participation in children with ASD/ADHD.
  • Findings contribute to understanding occupational meaning and its impact on participation in pediatric populations.

Keywords:
attention deficit hyperactivity disorderautism spectrum disorderoccupational meaningparticipation

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