How to make the best of it? Promoting occupational engagement of children during lockdown – case examples from South Africa, the United States of America and Germany

ABSTRACT

This article highlights the experiences of three occupational therapists, working in different settings while facing the challenges of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each case is an example of how to promote engagement of children and their families: in a private practice setting in South Africa, in a public school practice setting in the USA and an educational project for OT students in Germany. The three cases are the result of the professional exchange of ideas. They show creative ways of how technological tools and social media can be used professionally for virtual occupational therapy sessions, student and parent education. The challenges and benefits of virtual occupational therapy are discussed. In all three cases, virtual interventions led to a feeling of connectedness through occupation for the children, their families, occupational therapy students and practitioners themselves.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational disruption
• children
• COVID-19 pandemic
• lockdown
• virtual occupational therapy sessions
• virtual interventions
• psychosocial

Disclosure statement

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