ICFInternational Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health QOL Quality of life PODCI Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument RCT Randomized controlled trial AIM Improving participation of children with disabilities is a priority; however, the participation construct lacks clarity. This systematic review investigated how researchers defined 'participation' and the language used in participation intervention research.METHOD Nine health and education databases were searched for intervention studies of children with disabilities that included a participation outcome. Quantitative data were extracted using a customized form, and participation text data were extracted verbatim. Themes were derived using a thematic coding approach. These participation themes were applied to the outcome measures used in the included studies to compare participation language with the methods used to quantify participation changes. RESULTSOf the 2257 articles retrieved, 25 were included in this review. Five participation themes and nine subthemes were developed. Two themes, attendance and involvement, were directly related to the participation construct. Three additional themes described related concepts: preferences, activity competence, and sense of self.INTERPRETATION Attendance and involvement seem to describe the essence of the participation concept. The related themes may provide important avenues to enhance participation outcomes. This review highlighted the need for researchers to define the construct under investigation clearly and select measures carefully, as measurement choice is the mechanism through which the concept is operationalized in research.The publication of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) has resulted in an intensification of international interest in 'participation' as the ultimate health outcome. 1,2 The ICF defines participation as 'involvement in a life situation' 2 participation restriction is defined as 'problems an individual may experience in involvement in life situations'.2 Because there is no universal acceptance of the definition of participation, a discourse in the literature has developed about how to operationalize the concept. 3,4 This is critical, because without clarity about the concept, defining outcome goals and developing scales and measures to assess participation outcomes will remain open to question as to whether the measures are fit for purpose.One part of the complexity of the conceptual issue is the fact that the World Health Organization did not clearly distinguish between activity and participation within their classification system, offering authors four methods for determining when participation rather than activity was being classified.1,2 This lack of distinction provides ample opportunity for varied interpretations of the concept under investigation and hence varied approaches to measurement, 5 leading to imprecision and confusion in what is found and reported.Several authors describe particip...

The importance of being family centered when providing services to children with a disability and their families has gained currency in the research and practice literature. A growing body of evidence has validated many of the theoretical links between the help-giving practices of staff and desirable outcomes for families with a child with a disability. However, it is clear from the research to date that the relationship between the provision of family-centered services and the achievement of positive outcomes for children and their parents is complex and is yet to be fully understood. The present article reviews the research in this area and discusses the links between help-giving practices and child and family outcomes for families who have a member with a disability. The article summarizes the extant research in an accessible format and identifies areas for future research.

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The academic achievement of individuals with autism spectrum disorder has received little attention from researchers despite the importance placed on this by schools, families and students with autism spectrum disorder. Investigating factors that lead to increased academic achievement thus would appear to be very important. A review of the literature was conducted to identify factors related to the academic achievement of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 19 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review. Results indicated that many individuals demonstrate specific areas of strength and weakness and there is a great deal of variability in general academic achievement across the autism spectrum. Adolescents and individuals with lower IQ scores were underrepresented, and few studies focused on environmental factors related to academic success. The importance of individualised assessments that profile the relative strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents to aid in educational programming was highlighted. Further research on child-related and environmental factors that predict academic achievement is needed. The academic achievement of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received little attention from researchers despite the importance placed on this by schools, families and students with ASD. Investigating factors that lead to increased academic achievement thus would appear to be paramount. A review of the literature was conducted to identify factors related to the academic achievement of children and adolescents with ASD. Nineteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review. Results indicated that many individuals demonstrate specific areas of strength and weakness and there is a great deal of variability in general academic achievement across the autism spectrum. Adolescents and individuals with lower IQ scores were underrepresented and few studies focused on environmental factors related to academic success. The importance of individualised assessments that profile the relative strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents to aid in educational programming was highlighted. Further research on child-related and environmental factors that predict academic achievement is needed.

CAPEChildren's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment RCT Randomized controlled trial AIM Enhancement of participation has been described as the ultimate outcome for health and educational interventions. The goal of this systematic review was to identify and critically appraise studies that aimed to improve the participation outcomes of children with disabilities.METHOD Nine databases that index literature from the fields of health, psychology, and education were searched to retrieve information on research conducted with children with disabilities aged between 5 years and 18 years. Articles were included if the author(s) reported that participation was an intended outcome of the intervention. The articles included were limited to those reporting high-level primary research, as defined by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council evidence hierarchy guidelines. No restrictions were placed on the type of intervention being investigated.RESULTS Seven randomized controlled or pseudo-randomized studies were included. Only three of these studies identified participation as a primary outcome. Both individualized and group-based approaches to enhancing participation outcomes appeared to be effective. Studies of interventions with a primary focus on body function or activity level outcomes did not demonstrate an effect on participation outcomes.

There is growing recognition of the communicative potential in many of the informal and idiosyncratic behaviors exhibited by children with developmental and physical disabilities. To assist in assessment and intervention planning, it would seem important to identify these potential communicative acts. To this end, the present article describes the development of the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts (IPCA). The IPCA is an interview schedule designed to be completed by parents, teachers, and therapists of children with developmental and physical disabilities and severe communication impairment. It consists of 53 questions asking informants to indicate how the child communicates 10 distinct pragmatic functions. To date, pilot testing, development research, and field trials have involved 30 children.The results of this development work indicate that the IPCA is an efficient means of collecting accurate and verifiable data on the potential communicative acts of children with severe communication impairment associated with a range of developmental and physical disabilities. Use of the IPCA in communication assessment and intervention is discussed.

The fPRC can support our rapidly evolving and expanding understanding of participation. Instruments selected to measure participation do not always align with emerging concepts. Matching research aims to a chosen measure's content will improve understanding of participation. Opportunities exist to develop validated participation measures, especially self-reported measures of involvement.

A number of autism intervention practices have been demonstrated to be effective. However, the use of unsupported practices persists in community early intervention settings. Recent research has suggested that personal, professional and workplace factors may influence intervention choices. The aim of this research was to investigate knowledge and use of strategies, organisational culture, individual attitudes, sources of information and considerations informing intervention choices by early intervention providers. An online survey was completed by 72 early intervention providers from four organisations across Australia. Providers reported high levels of trust and access of information from internal professional development, therapists and external professional development. A range of considerations including child factors, family values and research were rated as important in informing intervention choices. Participants reported greater knowledge and use of evidence-based and emerging practices than unsupported. Levels of use were linked to levels of knowledge, as well as some organisational and attitudinal factors. Areas for future research and implications are discussed.