Participation of children with and without disabilities in home, school, and community in Hong Kong: A 2-year longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Children with disabilities are reported to participate less in activities than their typically developing peers. However, owing to limited longitudinal studies, improvements or deteriorations in their participation over time remain unclear. No studies were also conducted in Hong Kong to describe children’s activity participation over time. AIM: To investigate the changes in participation patterns of Hong Kong children with and without disabilities. METHODS: Thirty-four children with disabilities and 138 without disabilities were recruited from four schools. Their parents completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth twice over 2 years. RESULTS: After 2 years, both groups of children were found to engage more frequently in using electronic devices and less frequently in indoor play activities/games at home. They also participated more often in school extra-curriculum activities, events and field trips. However, the frequency of community activities remained relatively stable in the two groups. No changes in their levels of involvement in almost of home, school and community activities were identified. CONCLUSION: The findings of increased participation in some home and school activities over time are encouraging. However, stable or possibly decreased participation of children with disabilities in other activities requires further efforts in promoting their participation.