Assessing the environmental quality of an adapted, play-based LEGO® robotics program to achieve optimal outcomes for children with disabilities

Kendall Kolne; Sunny Bui; Sally Lindsay

doi:10.1080/09638288.2020.1743776

Assessing the environmental quality of an adapted, play-based LEGO^® robotics program to achieve optimal outcomes for children with disabilities

Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Dec;43(25):3613-3622. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1743776. Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Authors

Kendall Kolne¹, Sunny Bui^{1

2}, Sally Lindsay^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
² Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
³ Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Canada.

PMID: 32208981
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1743776

Abstract

Purpose: This study assessed the environmental quality of an adapted, play-based LEGO^® robotics program for children and youth with disabilities to determine the degree to which the activity setting supports the therapeutic goals of the program.

Materials and methods: We measured the environmental qualities of a robotics program held at a paediatric rehabilitation hospital. We observed and coded video-recordings of the robotics program, specifically one session from each of five different rooms where the program took place. Using the 32-item Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings (MEQAS), we described the place- and opportunity-related qualities of these settings.

Results: Our observations revealed that, across all five settings, the environments support the therapeutic goals of the program, including providing opportunities for social interaction with peers and adults to a great extent. We also identified several environmental features of the robotics program that support optimal outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.

Conclusions: Our findings lend support for the value of examining environmental opportunities and affordances of play-based therapy within rehabilitation.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAssessing the environmental opportunities and affordances of play-based activities using the Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings (MEQAS) is valuable for supporting positive outcomes in rehabilitation.The settings of an adapted LEGO^® robotics program offer children with disabilities opportunities to engage in social interactions with peers and adults, to learn a new skill, and to develop a sense of self-identity.Optimal therapeutic outcomes of an adapted LEGO^® robotics program can be supported by environmental features, including: large tables with sufficient space for two youth and one or two adult volunteers to interact at eye-level, arranged separately with enough space to invite movement between tables, in such a way that children may also interact across tables.

Keywords: Environment; children; disability; inclusion; inclusive STEM; play; robotics; youth.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Child
Disabled Children*
Humans
Learning
Peer Group
Robotics*