Locomotion and use of public transportation program for students with intellectual disability: case report

Abstract

This article presents the case report of two young students with intellectual disability, with the purpose of evaluating the effect of their participation in a program for mobility and use of public transportation, created by the occupational therapy team at a special needs school in Chile. It proposes a tool for evaluation and intervention focused in the user, the school and the family. For this evaluation, the Kawa Model was used seeking to identify dificulties and strengths that influence the occupational choices during the program. The Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills, and the Volitional Questionnaire were used to evaluate the performance and volition at the beginning and in the end of the program. The two students showed an enhancement of their volitional processes and the increase in their communication and social interaction skills, both in the classroom context, and in the occupational therapy sessions throughout the program. This program may have socio-cultural implications, since it emphasizes in autonomy as a right that contributes to free occupational choices, which provide dignity to people, enhancing their personal identity and the discovery of skills not explored previously.