The Importance of Collaboration in Pediatric Rehabilitation for the Construction of Participation: The Views of Parents and Professionals

Anu Kinnunen, Ira Jeglinsky, Nea Vänskä, Krista Lehtonen and Salla Sipari
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Anu Kinnunen: Department of Health and Wellbeing, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, 70201 Kuopio, Finland
Ira Jeglinsky: Department of Health and Wellbeing, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
Nea Vänskä: Department of Rehabilitation and Examination, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, 00079 Helsinki, Finland
Krista Lehtonen: Department of Rehabilitation and Examination, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, 00079 Helsinki, Finland
Salla Sipari: Department of Rehabilitation and Examination, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, 00079 Helsinki, Finland

Disabilities, 2021, vol. 1, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Purpose: Collaboration between parents and professionals is essential to enable participation of children with disabilities. Participation is a widely researched topic in pediatric rehabilitation, and evidence for it providing opportunities for involvement and a sense of belonging in community and in larger society exists. There are, however, less research results on how collaboration builds participation pertaining to involvement in life situations. In collaboration with parents, therapists and teachers, the aim of the study was to describe factors that (a) promote and (b) prevent participation in life situations for school-aged children with disabilities, working towards participation in adulthood. Methods: The study applied a qualitative research design. The data was collected during the 2015–2016 academic year with five focus-group interviews by sampling procedure. The study involved five parents of children with disabilities, three therapists and two teachers. The research data was analyzed by inductive content analysis. Results: The results identified thirteen factors that promote child participation, with an emphasis on taking the child’s individuality into account. There were three barriers, which focused on attitudes or technical issues. Conclusions: The results suggest that collaboration on child-related factors has been well identified and implemented, but collaboration on enabling environmental factors needs to be developed. The results can be utilized to design what adults’ collaboration should focus on in promoting child participation.

Keywords: participation; collaboration; pediatric rehabilitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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