Picture me playing-a portrait of participation and enjoyment of leisure activities in adolescents with cerebral palsy.
Social fun tops the joy list for teens with CP, but participation slides with age—unless you target preferences and school setting.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Keiko and team asked 175 teens with cerebral palsy about their free-time fun.
They used the CAPE survey to see who does what, how often, and how much they like it.
Kids came from regular schools and from special schools across Japan.
What they found
Social hang-outs scored the biggest smiles.
Yet every extra birthday meant fewer clubs, sports, and outings.
Teens who could not walk and teens in segregated classes joined the least.
How this fits with other research
Shikako-Dratsch et al. (2013) dug deeper into the same data and showed you can guess a teen’s activity level best by simply asking, “What do you like?” Motor scores mattered less than preference.
Capio et al. (2013) widened the lens to adults with any developmental disability. They saw the same story: people want lively, social fun but stay stuck at home with TV.
Amore et al. (2011) looked at younger kids with DCD and found extra weight and low motor skills each shrink activity lists. That meshes with Keiko’s non-ambulatory teens joining less.
Why it matters
You can’t fix participation with gait training alone. Ask the teen what excites them, then build sessions around those likes. Schedule weekend meet-ups, not just home exercises. If the client attends a segregated school, double-check community links—those kids miss out the most.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In recent years attention has been paid to the participation levels of children and youth with Cerebral Palsy (CP), particularly the extent to which they have the opportunity to be involved in and enjoy leisure activities. The objective of this study is to describe the level of participation and enjoyment in leisure activities among adolescents with CP and to identify potential differences in participation patterns related to sociodemographic attributes. A cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 175 adolescents 12-20 years old (M=15.3; ±2.2), GMFCS I=55/II=43/III=13/IV=18/V=39 who completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE). The types of activities participants engaged in most frequently were social and recreational activities, whereas self-improvement and skill-based activities were least frequent. Social activities were the activities they enjoyed most. In general, participation decreases, as youth grow older. Girls engaged in more self-improvement activities than boys. Adolescents who study in special segregated schools experienced a lower diversity and intensity of engagement in all leisure activity domains. Adolescents who were not ambulatory and those presenting with more severe manual ability limitations participated less in all activity types except skill-based activities. Adolescents with CP place a high value on the ability to engage in activities of their own choosing and on interacting with friends. Engagement in a variety of leisure activities is important for a healthy development. Understanding the leisure patterns and preferences of this population, in addition to the contextual factors, may help in the elaboration of interventions and programs to promote a healthy development for this population.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.11.026