This pilot study was conducted using a sample of 374 Portuguese occupational therapists to evaluate burnout levels and prevalence among occupational therapists as well as to relate those levels to practitioner age, gender, client age, years of professional activity, and area of practice. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory questionnaire (Portuguese version) and a sociodemographic questionnaire was used. Results showed that ∼23%, 44%, and 45% of occupational therapists presented with client-related burnout, personal burnout (PB), and work-related burnout, respectively. Higher rates of burnout were observed across all dimensions as the age of the professionals increased, with more years of working increased the client-rated rate, and client age increased the PB rate. Outcomes suggest a need to implement intervention programs to promote personal and organizational strategies to prevent burnout.

RESUMO: este artigo descreve e problematiza as características da Comunicação Social na Perturbação do Espetro do Autismo (PEA), tendo por base os critérios de diagnóstico do Manual de Diagnóstico das Perturbações Mentais, DSM 5. Destaca, entre outros aspetos, a fusão da interação social com a comunicação relevando a sua importância para a definição do diagnóstico e da intervenção em crianças com PEA. Confronta ainda as diferentes perspectivas que sustentam argumentos e críticas à classificação proposta pelo DSM-5. Analisa a especificidade da linguagem, do discurso, da pragmática, da prosódia da sintaxe, da morfologia e da semântica na criança com PEA, bem como as suas implicações na adequação e desenvolvimento das suas competências comunicativas. A identificação destas competências reforça a importância de uma intervenção o mais precoce possível, realizada nos contextos naturais, da criança e da sua família, que objetive a potencialização de níveis de envolvimento e participação da criança, promotores de oportunidades de aprendizagem e de desenvolvimento das suas competências comunicativas e sociais.

This article evaluates the effects of an individualized intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) based on the principles of the DIR/Floortime^TM model, which encourages caregivers to follow their child’s emotions and interests and to interact with them in a natural social environment to help children develop social communication skills. Twenty-five preschool children with ASD, ranging from 3 to 6 years of age, received care from an interdisciplinary team specializing in ASD intervention, which included psychologists, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapists. The children received supportive care from these professionals based on their individual and family needs and concerns. A pre-experimental research design, pre-tests (1)- post-test (2) was given. The effects of the intervention were evaluated using the “Assessment Scale of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” which was completed by the parents before and after the intervention. Children made significant changes in mean scores within the areas of “Social Communication” and “Sensory Processing.” The results revealed that this intervention, focused on the development of relationships and interaction through play, had positive effects on the development of communication and sensory regulation with children with ASD at early ages.

This study explores children’s attitudes towards their peers with special needs (SN) at a preschool level. A total of 151 children were examined using the Acceptance Scale for Kindergarteners – Revised and social demographic questionnaires to collect information from parents and educators. The research included preschool children (5 years old) attending private preschools in a city of Portugal- Leiria-as well as their corresponding parents and educators. Further, 10 classrooms within preschools participated in the study, with a sample of 151 children, 149 parents, and 14 educators. Internal consistency was calculated, and the Cronbach’s α coefficient for the complete scale was .688. Results revealed that the average score associated with children’s attitudes was 18.78 (DP = 5.88). Children have more positive attitudes if they are in contact with peers with special needs regardless of the location (p < .05). Although children who have contact with peers with special needs in classroom have positive attitudes (p < .01) those who have contact in the preschool (outside classroom) have much more (p < .01). The results of this study provide insights into children’s attitudes and reveal that closer contact with children with special needs benefits peer attitudes.

The purpose of this scoping review was to provide further insight into the stress and the stressors experienced by pediatric occupational therapists in the work environment. Using the Arksey and O'Malley framework, the search was conducted in eight databases, nine electronic journals, and eight gray literature sources to identify articles related to stress and stressors of pediatric occupational therapists. Review selection and characterization were performed by two independent reviewers. Twelve articles published from 2011 to 2020 were identified and varied in terms of purpose, population, and results although the articles all shared similar methodologies and outcome measures. Only 25% of the articles (3/12) addressed pediatric occupational therapy stress and stressors directly while the remaining addressed occupational stress, but with varying levels of attention to pediatric occupational therapists. Stress and stressors experienced by pediatric occupational therapists have been studied to a limited extent. Occupational stress is associated with increased burnout, decreased health, and decreased job satisfaction and performance. Several knowledge gaps have been identified, as well as priorities for future research into pediatric occupational therapists and occupational stress.

Storytelling is an effective evidence-based practice as an accepted intervention by therapists for the therapy of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Digital storytelling, particularly using smart tangibles, offers a structured, interactive and engaging environment for children with ASD allowing for repetition, offering feedback with visual supports, and giving the child more authority over the learning experience. This study presents a co-designed approach to digital storytelling activities with smart tangibles for autism therapy, aimed at enhancing multiple social and behavioral skills. Through co-design sessions with therapists, activity flows and scenarios were developed to target specific skill improvements. These include free play exploration, positive stimulus introduction, fostering cooperation to address disturbances, and incorporating magical objects to facilitate peer turn-taking. Additionally, real-life connections were emphasized to promote emotional regulation and multicultural understanding while further activities are designed to overcome routine issues, build tolerance to change, and enhance cognitive structuring. Feasibility was demonstrated through integration into therapy sessions of five children, where therapists independently utilized the system, fostering immersive and interactive storytelling experiences. Overall, the co-designed activities offer insights into enhancing therapy interventions for children with ASD beyond specific contexts, contributing to the broader design of autism therapy activities.