Participation patterns of children with acquired brain injury

OBJECTIVE: To describe the participation patterns of children and youth with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and to compare these patterns with typically-developing peers. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five children with ABI completed the Children Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) to measure their participation diversity and intensity in outside-of-school activities (i.e. recreational, physical, social, self-improvement and skill-based activities). Results were compared to 354 typically-developing peers. ANOVA analyses were performed while controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Similar to typically-developing children, individuals with ABI proportionally participated mostly in social and recreational activities and were less likely to engage in skill-based activities. However, level of intensity and diversity within each activity type was different between the two groups. Children with ABI participated in fewer activities and were less frequently involved in all the CAPE's activity types except for intensity in social activities. These differences, characterized by small-to-medium effect sizes, were not dependent on the child's age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Participation of children with ABI is restricted in comparison to their typically-developing peers even in a sample where minor injury is predominant. Future studies might address additional factors that potentially affect participation, e.g. child's preferences and family function.