What Makes Participation Meaningful? Using Photo-Elicitation to Interview Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Aims

The purpose of this study was to describe meaningful participation in everyday life from the perspectives of children with disabilities.

Methods

Nine children (5–10 years, mean age 7.2 years, 5 boys, 4 girls) with disabilities participated in individual photo-elicitation interviews. The interview data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed with inductive content analysis.

Results

The children’s meaningful participation mainly comprised free leisure activities that fostered enjoyment, capability, autonomy and social involvement with family and friends. The children’s emotions and physical sensations, opportunities to influence, knowledge about the activity and the participation context, presumptions and previous experiences of the activity and the environment played a vital role in their decisions to participate.

Conclusion

The meaningful participation facilitated enjoyment and self-determination for the children. Identifying personal and environmental factors supporting or restricting participation from the child’s perspective emerges as important in order to provide opportunities for the child’s meaningful participation in everyday life. The photo-elicitation interviews demonstrated the potential to act as a tool to identify and explore the children’s views about participation in a real-life context.

Keywords:

• Activities
• children’s rehabilitation
• participation
• photo-elicitation interviews

Acknowledgement

This study was part of the LOOK project (2014–2017), which aimed to develop new rehabilitation practices to strengthen children’s participation and agency. The project was managed by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the Central Union for Child Welfare and was funded by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). We extend our thanks to the LOOK project participants, and the children and families who took part in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nea Vänskä

Nea Vänskä, MHSc, is Senior Lecturer at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation and Examination and PhD student at the University of Helsinki in the Faculty of Medicine.

Salla Sipari

Salla Sipari, PhD, is a Principal Lecturer and the Head of Master's Degree Program in Rehabilitation at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Wellbeing.

Leena Haataja

Leena Haataja, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Paediatric Neurology at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital.