Influence of Home Environment on Participation in Home Activities of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
e Open Journal of Occupational Th
Influence of Home Environment on Participation in Home Activities of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Divya Sood 0 1 2
0 Governors State University
1 University of Colorado , USA
2 Cover Page Footnote Acknowledgments We would like to thank all of the parents and children who participated in this study and the occupational therapy practitioners who participated in the survey. We also thank Dr. Christine Berg, PhD, OTR/L, of the Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University , St. Louis, MO, for her valuable suggestions and time , USA
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DOI: 10.15453/2168-6408.1082
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vol2/iss3/2
Sood et al.: ASD and Participation within the home environment
Participation in the everyday occupations of activity, and experiencing sensory issues. Family
life is a vital part of human development and lived reasons, such as parents choosing not to participate
experience. Through participation, children acquire in activities with the child or not assigning chores,
skills and competencies, connect with others and were considered to be another factor associated with
communities, and find purpose and meaning in life low participation among children with ASD.
(Law, 2002)
. Children diagnosed with an autism The results of the
LaVesser and Berg (2011)
spectrum disorder (ASD) experience limitations in study also noted that participation in self-care
communication and social interactions, demonstrate activities was lower than for typically developing
restricted and repetitive behaviors, and may children because children with ASD may
demonstrate hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory experience sensory and motor issues that interfere
stimuli or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the with such participation. Similarly, children with
environment
(American Psychiatric Association ASD participated in fewer sedentary leisure
[APA], 2013)
. This can influence their activities. Younger children with ASD may
participation in daily activities. participate more in parent-child household activities
Background (e.g., picking up toys, cleaning the room, having
Recent evidence suggests that parents of adult-child playtimes) and community activities,
children with ASD report lower participation in such as children’s festivals and community
everyday life occupations among their children. For celebrations
(Little, Sideris, Ausderau, & Baraneck,
example, families of children with ASD ranging 2014)
.
from the ages of 6 to 17 years reported that their Rodger and Umaibalan (2011) have
children were less involved in after-school or investigated the difference in routines and rituals
weekend clubs or other organized events; they also between families of children with ASD and families
were less involved in community activities when with typically developing children. In their study,
compared to families of children with typically families of children with ASD established routines
developing children
(Lee, Harrington, Louie, & that were more child-oriented, geared toward
Newschaffer, 2008)
. Findings from another study meeting the demands of their child with ASD rather
by
LaVesser and Berg (2011)
indicated that than the family as a whole.
children from the ages of 3 to 6 years with ASD Factors Influencing Participation
participated in fewer activities than typical children. According to the
Person-EnvironmentThe most commonly cited reasons for low Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model
participation among children with ASD were factors
(Christiansen & Baum, 2005)
, several factors can
associated with behaviors, such as having tantrums, influence an individual’s participation in
not following directions, showing no interest in an meaningful activities. Person-related factors, such
The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 2, Iss. 3 [2014], Art. 2
as sensory processing
(Brown & Dunn, 2010)
; daily activities for infants was not related to the
cognitive skills
(Zingerevich & LaVesser, 2009)
; socioeconomic status of a family. Instead, it
and social skills (Shattuck, Orsmond, Wagner, & depended on “parents creating situations that are
Cooper, 2011), can influence the involvement of conducive to motor skill development, such as
children with ASD in meaningful occupations spending time playing with the infants, promoting
within an environment. Environmental factors, interaction with other infan (...truncated)