Abstract
Participation is a key aspect of quality of life and is essential for children’s well-being, yet children with disabilities are at risk for lower participation in social activities. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social skills may present a significant obstacle for participation in activities of daily life; however, motor skill development may also serve an important contributing factor. Nevertheless, the link between social and motor skills in children with ASD is not fully understood. The current research implemented semistructured interviews to garner descriptive insights from caregivers (N = 17) into the social and motor skills of 5- to 9-year-old children with ASD and the impact on participation in social activities. A constant comparative method was used to generate a coherent and thematic representation of caregivers’ experiences. Thematic analysis revealed core consistencies in three areas: (1) caregivers viewed participation differently than their children; (2) participation levels of children with ASD are context specific; (3) challenges with social skills were perceived to present a greater obstacle to participation than motor skills. Overall, the notion that ASD is a heterogeneous disorder was made very apparent. Although caregivers believe there to be immense value in current treatment and intervention options, the availability and access to such options was a major barrier. The effectiveness of intervention programming designed to increase participation is contingent on understanding factors that affect participation. Implications concerning caregivers’ perspectives are discussed.
Highlights
Children are socially occupied beings living in a social world (Lawlor, 2003); because of various individual and environmental factors, children with disabilities are at risk for lower participation in social activities than their typically developing peers (Law and King, 2000; Kaljaca et al, 2019)
Substantial literature has examined the extent of participation, and considerable work has focused on developing and implementing interventions to increase participation; individual perspectives and experiences are not typically considered in the participation literature (Martin Ginis et al, 2017)
Thematic analysis revealed core consistencies in the data: (1) caregivers viewed participation differently than their children; (2) participation levels of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are context specific; (3) challenges with social skills were perceived to present a greater obstacle to participation than motor skills
Summary
Children are socially occupied beings living in a social world (Lawlor, 2003); because of various individual and environmental factors, children with disabilities are at risk for lower participation in social activities than their typically developing peers (Law and King, 2000; Kaljaca et al, 2019). In Canada, it is estimated one out of every 66 individuals between the ages of 5 and 17 years have a diagnosis of ASD (Government of Canada, 2016). A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network in the United States describes an increase from one in 68 children aged 8 years during 2010–2012 to one in 59 children in 2014 (Bajo et al, 2018). Expressions range from having significant interference in everyday life to behaviors that are often difficult to differentiate from typically developing peers (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
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