The Effectiveness of Participation-focused Interventions on Body Functions of Youth With Physical Disabilities

Youth with physical disabilities face greater restrictions to participation in community-based activities than their typically developing peers, which can lead to poor health outcomes. Emerging treatment approaches aimed at improving activity and participation have shifted from focusing only on impaired body functions towards the performance of functionally meaningful activities within the youth's natural environment. It is unclear, however, whether targeting intervention at the activity/participation level can, at the same time, result in improvement of personal functional skills (e.g., reaching) and body functions (e.g., range of motion) -components also important to address and maintain within the rehabilitation process. Together with key community-based stakeholders including youth/parents, clinicians, and policy-makers, the investigators plan, therefore, to examine whether engaging in a 6-week community based activity (e.g., joining a sledge hockey team, boccia) can lead to a significant improvement in three key body functions: motor, cognitive and affective functions. Eight participants with physical disabilities will take part in the study and engage in an activity program of their own choice. Changes in their body functions (e.g., movement-related functions, attention, behavior, mood) will be measured multiple times before, during and after the engagement in an individualized activity/program. Findings of this pilot study analyzed with input from key stakeholders can advance the investigators understanding about methods for testing complex and unique individual-based interventions. This can guide clinicians, families and policy-makers to select effective approaches that not only promote participation but can also facilitate additional (motor and mental) benefits from one single intervention. Such findings may also reduce the burdens on the healthcare system as well as on the youth and families.