Collaborative Goal-Setting Approaches to Support Participation of Children With Special Educational Needs

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Child Development
• Occupational Therapy

Background:

• Understanding participation in children with special educational needs (SEN) is crucial for effective interventions.
• Caregiver perspectives may not fully capture children's lived experiences of participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare participation ratings between children with SEN and their caregivers.
• To identify activities children with SEN wish to change and their participation-based goals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System-Child for 20 children (aged 8-12) with SEN.
• Assessed participation frequency, independence, and desired activity changes.
• Employed the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities, and Health-based Collaborative Problem Solving to establish goals.

Main Results:

• Children with SEN reported participation experiences distinct from their caregivers.
• Nineteen children identified desired changes, primarily in home and community settings, focusing on participation frequency.
• Established participation-based goals aligned with children's desires to engage more in preferred activities.

Conclusions:

• Children with SEN possess unique perspectives on participation, differing from their caregivers.
• Semi-structured interview methods enable children with SEN to identify desired activities and set meaningful participation goals.