Participation Outcomes Among Black Children with Disabilities: A Scoping Review

Participation disparities among Black children with disabilities are widely documented in a variety of disciplines. Grounded in the Social Model of Disability and Disability Critical Race Theory, the purpose of this scoping review was to examine the extent to which occupational therapy has contributed to the study of participation outcomes among Black children with disabilities.

Empirical studies published from 2010 to 2021 that reported participation outcome data published in nine frequently cited journals were included in this scoping review. Twenty studies were found to meet the criteria.

Participation outcomes were reported for six occupations: play, social participation, activities of daily living (ADLs), education, sleep, and health management). The majority of studies reviewed recruited small samples of Black children with disabilities and provided limited to no description of the specific participation differences by racial/ethnic demographics.

Occupational therapy has made few contributions to the growing literature on participation disparities for Black children with disabilities. Implications for practice are discussed.