Creating opportunities for occupation: an intervention to promote the self-care independence of young children with special needs.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between opportunities for occupation and the skill performance of young children with special needs was explored, using a multiple baseline across subjects design.


METHODS
Three caregivers self-monitored the frequency with which they were able to create opportunities for their child to practice emerging self-dressing or self-feeding skills.


RESULTS
Two caregivers quickly promoted self-care independence in their child by restructuring daily routines to provide more opportunities for the child to independently engage in the targeted occupation. One caregiver was unable to use the intervention techniques effectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Opportunity for occupation can influence the child's skill performance and can be used as a treatment modality by some families.
Kellegrew
D H
DH
Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017028:Caregivers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care