Enhancing arts and recreation participation among people with neurodevelopmental disorders through occupational therapy consultation: an exploration of stakeholder processes and outcomes - people with…

Enhancing arts and recreation participation among people with neurodevelopmental disorders through occupational therapy consultation: an exploration of stakeholder processes and outcomes - people with neurodevelopmental disorders (ndds) face participation barriers in arts and recreation settings including museums, theaters, and festivals. These barriers often relate to environmental factors including crowds, public attitudes, and lack of staff training. Occupational therapists (OTS) provide consultation for arts and recreation organizations to address these barriers, and existing research showsconsultation has been positively received by organization staff and caregivers of people with ndds. However, research onconsultation in arts and recreation settings is limited, and no best practice guidelines exist. Therefore, the goal of this study is to strengthen the evidence base forconsultation through utilizing novel methodology and contributing foundational data to anchor development of best practice guidelines forconsultation in arts and recreation settings. Aim 1 is to investigate OTS' process components when engaging in organization-level consultation in arts and recreation settings. Aim 2 is to explore feasibility of a mixed methods approach using goal attainment scaling for examining organizational outcomes ofconsultation and organizational perspectives onconsultation. Aim 3 is to explore feasibility of a quasi-experimental approach to examine the impact ofconsultation on people with ndds' experiences of belonging in arts and recreation settings. Outcomes of this research include dissemination of findings to inform design of future outcome studies and larger scale investigations. This research is a vital step in developing best practice guidelines forconsultation that will maximize accessible and inclusive arts and recreation participation for people with ndds. This study falls under nidilrr's community living and participation domain.