Patterns of participation in school-related activities and settings in children with spina bifida

Purpose: To evaluate how children with spina bifida (SB) participate in school-related activities and to explore if their motor and process skills in task performance were related to their level of active participation in school. Method: Fifty children from a geographical cohort of children with SB (aged 6-14 years) and their teachers rated the children's frequency of participation in school-related activities using a Swedish adaptation of the Availability and Participation Scale. The teachers also rated each child's level of active participation with the School Function Assessment, part one. Each child's motor and process skills were evaluated with the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. The relation between levels of active participation and motor and process skills was subjected to binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The children participated very frequently in school activities, but their level of active participation was restricted, particularly in the recess/playground setting. There was a highly significant relation between full active participation in most school settings and the children's motor and process skills. Conclusion: Children with SB need support to become more actively involved, particularly in unstructured peer activities. The school staff need to be informed that not only the motor skills but also the process skills have an impact on the children's active participation