Co-developing a danced version of the Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program (GRASP): a participatory design...

Self-directed exercise programs empower people with stroke to engage in recovery through daily practice but often present challenges in maintaining long-term adherence. Dance can make rehabilitation exercises more engaging and help reduce the perception of efforts, due to its inherently enjoyable nature and the use of music. This project aims to identify the key considerations for developing a danced adaptation of the GRASP delivered using short video capsules to enhance upper limb motor recovery.

Using a participatory research approach, co-development meetings were conducted with researchers and occupational therapists to adapt and refine the GRASP-dance. We beta-tested the GRASP-dance with two people with stroke to refine the program. Feedback from participants and co-development meeting summaries were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Two main themes were derived from the co-development meetings: 1) Considerations for the transposition of the GRASP into a danced version and 2) Challenges and solutions for the development of the GRASP-dance. We adapted the GRASP into a danced version, incorporating the fundamental elements of the GRASP and key considerations at the person, the environment and the dance level. The final program includes 47 video capsules across three difficulty levels along with a weekly virtual group meeting.

This work emphasized the need to tailor self-directed exercise, to include a motivating artistic element, and to address key barriers to maximize stroke rehabilitation.