From activity to participation – occupational therapy intervention for CP children

For children, participation in day-to-day formal and informal activities is a vital part of their development. Participation in activities is the context in which children form friendships, develop skills and competencies, express creativity, achieve mental and physical health, and determine meaning and purpose in life. Children with cerebral palsy receive a variety of long-term physical and occupational therapy interventions to facilitate development and to enhance functional independence in movement, self-care, play, school activities and leisure. The issues presented by cerebral palsy children and their families are complex and require understanding of multiple levels of performance. Successful occupational therapy intervention of these multiple layers of function requires the use of multiple frames of reference, theories and models. Occupational performance and participation in different activities, is the main goal of occupational therapy intervention.