Neuropediatrics 2021; 52(05): 421-422
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721830
Book Review

Participation: Optimising Outcomes in Childhood-Onset Neurodisability (Clinics in Developmental Medicine)

Christoph Kuenzle
1   Centre of Neuropaediatrics, Developmental Paediatrics and Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations

Imms C, Green D, eds. Participation: Optimising Outcomes in Childhood-Onset Neurodisability (Clinics in Developmental Medicine), London, United Kingdom: Mac Keith Press; 2020 (Paperback, 288 pages), ISBN: 978–1-911612–16–2 £78.00

Christine Imms and Dido Green are leaders in the field of occupational therapy whose deep wish is to promote participation as therapy goal to be promoted in the therapies of children and young people. They have brought together the body of knowledge about this topic since the launch of the concept of ICF in 2001, with participation being the main focus. Together with 48 specialists in this field around the world, they have written the most valuable and comprehensive book for professionals in the field of education and health care whose wish is to increase participation of children and young people through their teaching and therapeutic input. Their preface reflects their sincere wish to promote a “broader understanding of the roles and opportunities that are available for meaningful participation in life irrespective of measurable impairments.” It is about “how we support, promote, maximize, or otherwise enable participation and how we value” that the child or adolescent we care for “is able to take part in the multitude of life situations.”

The book is organized in five parts and includes many case vignettes in each part from children and young people around the world which wonderfully illustrate the issues covered in the different parts. The book is starting with conceptual issues in participation in part one which cover the definition of attendance and involvement, the theoretical foundations which guide interventions, and a reflection of childhood disability on participation. Part two contains contexts for participation again with a conceptual overview of definitions of contexts, such as family life, school, leisure, and recreation, which are covered in the following chapters and the major impact of social influences, as well as the aspect of therapy also being a life situation, and involvement of young people in research. In part three, the topic covered is measuring participation, starting with a chapter which gives an overview of the available measures of participation to measure as an outcome, a mean of understanding participation as a transactional system and a process, and challenges with measuring. Part four is dedicated to interventions which include a chapter about innovations and advancements, one chapter with a focus on environment to provide opportunities and possibilities for enhancement of participation in community contexts, and a last chapter reflecting meaningful contexts to initiate and enhance participation. Part five includes future challenges, starting with a chapter on challenges in the 21st century, followed by a chapter on evolution of needs and expectations, a chapter on participation in resource-poor countries, and finally an outlook in the future as ended by the editors.

I found reading this volume inspiring for both practitioners and researchers to focus mainly on participation when caring for children and young people with childhood disability to further optimize their outcomes. I am convinced that the editors together with the vast number of contributors around the world have met the goal to both challenge and motivate the readers of this book to change our approach and attitude to childhood-onset neurodisability, as well as encourage to do further research in this field to realize everyone's rights, hopes, and dreams.

In summary, this book is an inspiration how to enable children and young people with neurodisability to participate in the varied life situations that form their personal, familial, and cultural worlds. It is a guide for concepts, the significance of contexts, the available measurements, the possible interventions to increase participation, and the future challenges to further promote participation. Christine Imms and Dido Green with the expert team of contributors are a huge source of encouragement to focus on participation in our work with children and young people with childhood-onset neurodisability, to optimize their outcome, their future! Therefore, I do highly recommend this book for professionals at all levels of experience working with children and young people with childhood-onset neurodisability.



Publication History

Article published online:
14 January 2021

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