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Purpose: This study investigates the psychosocial impact of eye-gaze assistive technology (EGAT) in both children and adults with long-term experience using eye-gaze assistive technology in everyday life, as well as the psychosocial impact as related to duration of use.

Methods: In this descriptive comparative study, 34 adult and 27 child EGAT users participated in a structured individual interview using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS).

Results: The participants' age ranged from 5-74 years, 50% were female and 52% had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The EGAT had a positive psychosocial impact on competence, adaptability, and self-esteem among adult and child users. Competence was the only subscale with a higher value for adults (p = 0.038), compared to children. The items with the highest impact for the psychosocial aspects were quality of life, ability to participate, and self-esteem. The adults had longer duration of use than children, but for high-, medium-, and low-duration users, the device showed a positive psychosocial impact.

Conclusions: Participants considered EGAT to have high positive impacts for participation and quality of life. The study adds new knowledge in that high positive psychosocial impact may be found even among low-duration users of EGAT, which is important to consider for service providers.

Background: Inclusive learning environments are considered as crucial for children’s engagement with learning and participation in school. Partnering for change (P4C) is a collaborative school-based service delivery model where services are provided at three levels of intensity based on children’s needs (class, group-, individual interventions). Interventions in P4C are provided universally to support all children with learning, not only children with special education needs (SEN), and as such are expected to be health-promoting.

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of P4C as well as school staff members’ and children’s experiences after P4C.

Methods: In a parallel, non-randomised controlled intervention design, 400 children, aged 6–12 years, and their teachers, will be recruited to either intervention classes, working according to the P4C, or to control classes (allocation ratio 1:1). Data will be collected at baseline, post-intervention (4 months), and 11 months follow-up post baseline. The primary outcome is children’s engagement with learning in school. Secondary outcomes include for example children’s health-related quality of life and wellbeing, occupational performance in school, attendance, and special educational needs. The difference-in-differences method using regression modelling will be applied to evaluate any potential changes following P4C. Focus group interviews focusing on children, and professionals’ experiences will be performed after P4C. A health economic evaluation of P4C will be performed, both in the short term (post intervention) and the long term (11-month follow-up). This study will provide knowledge about the effectiveness of P4C on children’s engagement with learning, mental health, and wellbeing, when creating inclusive learning environments using a combination of class-, group- and individual-level interventions.

Introduction: Children and young people with complex needs (severe motor impairments and without speech) have few opportunities to use alternative devices for communication. Eye-gaze controlled computers (EGCCs) might provide individuals with complex needs increased opportunities for communication and participation in society.

Objective: To investigate the impact of EGCCs on communication, functional independence and participation in activities in children and young people with complex needs.

Methods: A multicenter intervention study during seven months, measuring outcomes with or without EGCC at four time points, was conducted in Sweden, Dubai, and in USA. Seventeen participants (aged 3–26 years, diagnosis e.g. cerebral palsy, Rett syndrome) were provided with EGCC and services from an Assistive Technology center to implement EGCC in school and/or at home.

Results: Participants significantly increased their expressive communication skills and functional independence with EGCC compared to baseline. All but one (16 of 17) increased their activity repertoire and computer use with EGCC. With EGCC, participation in computer activities averaged 4.1 performed activities (e.g. communication, play), with a duration of 70 minutes/day and a frequency of 76% of days.

Discussion: The study strengthened the research evidence that EGCC can be an effective intervention in daily life for children and young people with complex needs. Communication and independence, common goals of intervention, were shown to be relevant EGCC outcomes.

This is a case study exploring gaze-based AT as early intervention, for a ten-month-old non-verbal child with severe physical impairments. Data was collected repeatedly over time through questionnaires, videos clips, and field observations until the child was three years old.

Eye-gaze technology allows individuals with severe physical disabilities and complex communication needs to control a computer or other devices with eye-gaze, thereby enabling them to communicate and participate in society. To date, most research on eye-gaze controlled devices related to persons with disabilities has focused on a single diagnosis in either adults or children and has included only a few participants. This current study utilized a total population survey to identify the prevalence and perceived usability of eye-gaze technology among adults and children in Sweden. Participants were 171 eye-gaze technology users with severe physical and communication impairments, ranging between 4 and 81 years. Cerebral palsy was the most common diagnosis. Daily usage was found in 63%, while 33% had weekly, and 4% had less frequent usage. Adults, compared with children, reported using their computers more frequently (65%/38%; p < 0.01), and for the activities they needed to perform (59%/31%; p < 0.01) and were more satisfied with services, indicating that service providers should prioritize and develop more effective services for children and their parents.

Context-based collaboration between teachers and occupational therapists has shown promise as a strategy to enhance teachers' capacity to enable the participation of children in elementary schools. In this study, we applied the Canadian Partnering for Change (P4C) model as a collaborative, coaching- and context-based approach in the Netherlands and Sweden. The aim was to gain insight into teachers' and occupational therapists' experiences of their collaboration applying P4C within their specific European elementary school context. To this end, we held semi-structured interviews with 4 teachers and 4 occupational therapists and performed a conventional, inductive content analysis of the ensuing interview transcripts. We found that participants' collaboration in the classroom context was a continuous, multi-stage process that we defined as a unique mastery journey toward collaborative learning and trustful partnership. Participants indicated that they needed time to become familiar with the new collaboration, how they learned from each other, and that they enhanced children's inclusion by applying strategies collaboratively. The results carry implications for the embedment of collaboration in schools and offer relevant strategies that serve the inclusion of all children. We propose that future studies evaluate the effects of P4C and seek to obtain a holistic picture of collaboratively applied actions.

Introducing advanced assistive technology such as eye gaze controlled computers can improve a person's quality of life and awaken hope for a child's future inclusion and opportunities in society. This article explores the meanings of parents' and teachers' other-oriented hope related to eye gaze technology for children with severe disabilities. A secondary analysis of six parents' and five teachers' interview transcripts was conducted in accordance with a phenomenological-hermeneutic research method. The eye gaze controlled computer creates new imaginations of a brighter future for the child, but also becomes a source for motivation and action in the present. The other-oriented hope occurs not just in the future; it is already there in the present and opens up new alternatives and possibilities to overcome the difficulties the child is encountering today. Both the present situation and the hope for the future influence each other, and both affect the motivation for using the technology. This emphasises the importance of clinicians giving people opportunities to express how they see the future and how technology could realise this hope.

Purpose

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been proposed to enable an inclusive learning environment and increased participation for students with special educational needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived need for ICT before and after an individualized ICT intervention among high school students with neurodevelopmental disorders and describe how the ICT was used to improve participation in school activities.

Materials and methods

This mixed-method study, with a one-group pre- and post-test design, included 99 high school students with neurodevelopmental disorders. Data from questionnaires and assessments using the School Setting Interview (SSI) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Deductive content analysis was performed on written notes in the SSI assessment.

Results

The results showed that students’ median number of perceived needs for ICT in school activities had decreased from six needs at baseline to one need at follow-up (t16.5 df(98), p<.001). There were five SSI items for which over 50% of the students perceived a need for ICT, with most students (95%) needing support in the item Remember things. Students received a laptop, tablet or smartphone (95%), software for planning or structure (84%) and ICT for writing and reading (66%). The ICT facilitated participation in multiple school activities, providing reminders and structure, facilitating notetaking and improving spelling. After the ICT intervention, students (61%) experienced improved study results and improved ability to manage difficult school situations (68%).

Conclusion

To conclude, an individualized ICT intervention as support to increase school participation is promising among high school students with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Background

The assessment of work ability with reliable, thoroughly tested instruments, is central to evidence-based occupational therapy practice.

Aims/Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Finnish version of the WRI with a focus on construct validity and measurement precision.

Material and Methods

Ninety-six WRI-FI assessments were performed by 19 occupational therapists in Finland. A Rasch analysis was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties.

Results

The WRI-FI presented an overall fit to the Rasch model, with good targeting and separation among persons. The four-point rating scale structure was supported by the Rasch analysis, except for one item with disordered thresholds. The WRI-FI indicated stable measurement properties across gender. Seven of the 96 persons showed misfit, which slightly exceeds the criteria of 5%.

Conclusions

The findings from this first psychometric evaluation of the WRI-FI provided evidence of construct validity and support for measurement precision. The hierarchy among items corresponded with previous studies. The WRI-FI can offer occupational therapy practitioners a valid tool to evaluate psychosocial and environmental perspectives of persons’ work ability.