Feeling and Being Involved? Participation Experienced by Children with Disabilities at Regular Schools in Austria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth knowledge about children with disabilities' lived experiences of participation in regular schools in Austria. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 5 children. Data were analyzed according to the descriptive phenomenological method. Children with disabilities appreciated attending regular schools. Being a part of school life was identified to include experiences of participation and nonparticipation. Different aspects of the environment influence experiences of participation and awareness of differences are facilitated through interaction with peers. Together, the findings complement empirical insights to the understanding of experienced and performed involvement combined with subjective dimensions of environmental features that influence participation.

Keywords:

• Participation
• experience
• phenomenology
• occupational therapy
• children with disabilities
• school
• International Classification of Functioning
• Disability
• and Health (IFC)

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the children who shared insights to their daily life at regular schools; to their parents who encouraged them; and to Eugénia Maria Marques Pereira and Claudia Lenz, who peer-reviewed and critically discussed the study with us. This study was conducted as a part of the graduate program for the European master of science degree in occupational therapy.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.