To Örebro University

Background: Participation and functioning are fundamental human rights, but individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities( IDD) are more often excluded from essential life areas compared to peers without disabilities. Participation restrictions can be operationalised as problems to be involved in important everyday situations. Self-rated participation restrictions is considered reflective of people’s perceived disability across different life situations. For individuals with IDD, cognitive functioning, including aspects of time management skills, have a critical role in participation restrictions and have shown improvement through the 10-session group intervention Let’s Get Organised-Swedish version (LGO-S). The present study aimed to explore changes in self-rated participation restrictions in adults with IDD after undergoing the LGO-S intervention.

Method: A cross-sectional and pre-post non-controlled study included 16 persons with IDD, five with intellectual disability, and eleven with autism (10 women, 6 men, mean age = 28.4 years). Data was collected pre-/post-intervention and at 12-month follow-ups with Participation Questionnaire-short version, conducted as a structured interview assessing participation in 35 different life situations.

Findings: Post-intervention at the group level, there was a 22% decrease in life situations rated as restricted, and from pre-intervention to 12-month follow up, this decrease was 30%. Post-intervention, there were 23 situations rated as less restricted, and 13 of these stayed less restricted at 12-month follow-up (e.g. Taking part in discussions, Using bus or train, Managing diet, and Handling money). At 12-month follow-up, 19 situations were rated less restricted and 11 of these were rated more restricted post-intervention (e.g. Getting in time, Relating with friends or parents, Engaging in culture, and Visiting restaurants, cafés or cinema).

Conclusions: Interventions targeting time management skills can bring about changes in participation restrictions across various life situations. However, further and controlled studies are needed to gain a more robust understanding of the relationship between the intervention and changes in participation restrictions.