Participation Strategies of Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: An Exploratory Study

Strategies are critical to promote child participation in important life activities. This study analyzed the participation strategies of the parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Ninety-two Japanese elementary children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents were recruited. The parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) questionnaire. Strategy text data obtained from the PEM-CY were analyzed with the co-occurrence network and correspondence analyses. The co-occurrence network analysis showed that the commonality of strategies to enable participation at home, school, and community settings was able to explain the child’s characteristics when involved in each setting. The correspondence analysis also suggested the need for specific strategies in each setting. The importance of strategies to improve the attitudinal environment and promote the participation of children with neurodevelopmental disorders was evident. Reducing stigma is important in all environments, especially in the public sphere. In addition, specific strategies are needed in each setting, suggesting the importance of context-specific approaches.