Background: Children's participation is an important outcome for children, families, and rehabilitation.
Objectives: We compared participation patterns (home and community) of 6- to 12-year-old Japanese children with autism and children with typical development (TD) and explored the associations of participation with familial, environmental, and child-related factors.
Method: Twenty-five mothers of children with autism and 21 mothers of TD children completed a survey covering their child's participation and environment, family empowerment, autism symptoms, sensory processing, behavior, and demographic characteristics.
Results: Children with autism showed restricted home and community participation. Home involvement was associated with family empowerment and the children's age, whereas home frequency was linked to environmental supportiveness and household income.
Conclusion: Japanese children with autism need appropriate support to address decreased participation. Occupational therapists may focus on family empowerment and the child's environment to facilitate the home participation of children with autism.
Keywords: autism; children; environment; family-centered practice; participation.
Participation Patterns and Associated Factors in Japanese Children with AutismParticipation in daily activities is essential for children’s health and well-being. We investigated the characteristics of and factors associated with home and community participation among Japanese children with autism without intellectual disability. The degree of environmental support at home, maternal perceptions of family empowerment, annual household income, and the age of the children were all associated with home participation in children with autism. These findings may be useful for professionals who support the daily lives of Japanese children with autism. They also suggest the importance of professionals focusing on children’s environment and family when effectively supporting their home lives.