OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to describe home and community functional performance in 5-year-old children with Down syndrome. METHOD. In a cross-sectional study of 5-year-old children with Down syndrome in Norway ( N = 43), functional performance was measured with the Norwegian translation of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Additional descriptive information related to health, disabilities, and function was also gathered. RESULTS. The children showed a wide range of functional performance. Performance of self-care activities appeared most delayed on activities that required fine motor skills. Children appeared less affected in basic functional mobility skills. Parents’ identified their main concerns as language functioning and, for the children not yet toilet trained, the management of bladder and bowel control in relation to starting school. CONCLUSION. The results provide baseline information regarding typical levels of functional performance in children with Down syndrome at 5 years of age. However, the broad range of functional performance across children indicates a need for caution in generalizing the results to an individual child.

The conceptualisation of participation is an ongoing discussion with importance for measurement purposes. The aim of this study was to explore the two subjective subdimensions of participation, inv...

This article reports the actual participation in leisure activities by a sample of Norwegian adolescents with Down syndrome aged 14. Representing a first generation to grow up in a relatively inclusive context, they live with their families, attend mainstream schools, and are part of common community life. Leisure information was obtained in individual, structured parent interviews, and added to existing longitudinal data from a project following the sample. Generally, the leisure activity may be viewed as varying along a continuum—reaching from formal, organized, and assisted activity participation outside home, to informal, self-organized, and independent participation at home. Formal leisure activities were either organized “for all” or “adapted for disabled.” The adolescents’ leisure appears as active and social. However, social participation largely involved parents and family, while socializing with other adolescents mainly took place within formal activities adapted for disabled. Clearly, formal and informal activities provide rather different opportunities for social encounters and assistance.

This study addresses the support provided by class staff in order to facilitate social participation of pupils with Down syndrome and peers in regular classes, and how they experience the interaction between the pupils. Data were collected through field observations of six pupils with Down syndrome in their class in mainstream schools, their six teachers and teachers’ assistants. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the teachers and teachers’ assistants. The analysis showed different support strategies, implying both environmental adaptations and individual support in order to facilitate peer interaction. A major finding was the role of the ‘supported ego’, mainly provided by teachers’ assistants. This role accommodated to the differences between the pupils, by compensating for the cognitive difficulties (i.e., perceptions, understanding and agency) of the pupils with Down syndrome. We concluded that class staff strived to keep the class as one unit by creating opportunities for participation for all the pupils through different strategies depending on their role and responsibility.

Background: Profound changes in municipal health services, are calling for new models for community-based occupational therapy services. Objective: The aim of the study is to explore how Norwegian occupational therapists position themselves in relation to the tasks delivered. Method: Focus group interviews were conducted with ten community-based occupational therapists. Systematic text condensation was then used in the data analysis. Results: Norwegian occupational therapists description of professional practices can be constructed into four ideal types; being ‘the all-rounder’, ‘the provider of assistive device’, ‘the fire extinguisher’, or ‘the innovator’. The ideal types can help us understand more of the content and dilemmas that community-based occupational therapists encountered in their daily practice, and the priorities they make during these encounters. Conclusions and Significance: Community-based occupational therapists positioned themselves in different ways, and some of these positions were considered to be more favourable than others. The therapists struggled between ‘traditional’ occupational therapy tasks and new ways of delivering occupational therapy services. The study reveals similarities and differences between rural and urban occupational therapy practice. The ideal types can help community-based therapists to reflect on their own practice and empower them to be more in keeping with the OT’s objectives and preferences.

Background: Ongoing changes in healthcare delivery systems in Norway increasingly require community-based services, and the changes will likely affect the working conditions and opportunities for occupational therapists. Aim: To characterize occupational therapy in community-based practice in Norway. Material and methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was applied using a questionnaire related to personal and organizational characteristics. Participants (n = 561) were recruited among community-working occupational therapists in Norway registered as members of Ergoterapeutene. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of the participants was female and had an average of 16.5 years of professional experience. They reported to spend about half of their working hours on direct work with clients. For many, work with assistive technology was a main task, accounting for approximately half their working hours. Only a small proportion worked in municipalities that had merged with others, but for a larger proportion (27%) a merger had been decided and was in preparation. Conclusion: This study established some basic information regarding Norwegian community-based occupational therapy and the municipalities where occupational therapists work. Significance: With this study serving as a baseline, we may be able to track how changes will affect community-based occupational therapy practice in the near future.