Les occupations de soins de rééducation et l’équilibre occupationnel des enfants : les approches top-down favorisent-elles une signifiance positive des soins de rééducation ergothérapiques ?

Summary :

Introduction. Rehabilitation care is part of the daily lives of many children. To preserve their occupational balance, the meaning that the children give to this rehabilitation care must be considered. Searching a benefit induced by “top-down” practices, this study explores the actions taken by occupational therapists to promote a positive meaning of occupational therapy care. The underlying proposition that “health care is an occupation” is also questioned.
Methods. By means of a questionnaire distributed to 92 occupational therapists working in paediatrics, this quantitative research analysed their practice, looking for the factors which allow for a positive meaning of occupational therapy care.
Results. The study shows that the pleasure, engagement, and competence of the child in carrying out the proposed activities of care promote a positive meaning of the care. However, this positive meaning does not seem to be specific to the use of the top-down approach. Eighty-five percent of respondents also confirm that health care is an occupation.
Discussion. The meaning and experience of rehabilitation care by children are often multifactorial.
By recognizing that health care is a human occupation, occupational therapists, through their expertise, can facilitate a positive meaning of occupational therapy care. By extension, occupational therapists could collaborate with other rehabilitators to reduce the overall impact of rehabilitative care on the occupational balance of children.
Conclusion. Occupational therapists should pay attention to health care, as it is an occupation that can affect individuals’ occupational balance.

Article rédigé par :

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  Marie-Lisenn Artigny

  Ergothérapeute DE
  ergo.artignyml@gmail.com