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Introduction: Individuals with developmental coordination disorder frequently report emotional and functional difficulties. A stressful era as COVID-19 pandemic may enhance emotional load. The present study aimed to (1) examine the emotional distress and quality of life among adults with developmental coordination disorder during COVID-19 as compared to typical controls, and (2) examine the relationships between these factors in adults with developmental coordination disorder. Method: Participants were 317 adults, aged 18–66, recruited during the first year of COVID-19: 227 were included in the developmental coordination disorder group, and 90 in the control group (normal motor performance) based on the Adult Developmental Co-ordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist cutoff score. Participants completed a sociodemographic health status/daily life under COVID-19 questionnaire and self-reports about their emotional status (depression, anxiety, stress) and a quality of life. Results: The developmental coordination disorder group had significantly greater depression, anxiety, stress, and lower quality of life. Participants with developmental coordination disorder who were infected by COVID-19 or reported reduction of working hours due to COVID-19 had the lowest social and environmental quality of life. Depression significantly predicted reduced quality of life and mediated between developmental coordination disorder severity and quality of life. Conclusions: Prevention and intervention programs for adults with developmental coordination disorder should be elaborated, with reference to emotional load and to implications on daily life, especially in times of crisis, like COVID-19.

Introduction The present study aimed to identify signs of frequent fall-related body dysfunction (depression/cognition) as exhibited in daily activities among older adults. The role of fall risk in mediating body dysfunction and daily activities was also explored. Method Participants included 123 non-institutionalised older adults. Depression and cognitive status were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Fall risk was determined by a questionnaire, supported by the Time Up and Go test (TUG). Executive functions (EF) were assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A) and the Alternate Executive Function Performance Test medication management performance-based assessment. Daily life measures included the Barthel and Instrumental scale of activities of daily living, and World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Results Based on a falls risk score, 39 out of 123 participants (32%) were high-risk fallers. High-risk fallers showed greater body dysfunction, as recognised in daily activities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that fall risk mediated the associations among depression, executive dysfunction and daily activities. Conclusion Emotional and cognitive dysfunctions that affect people with high fall risk may manifest while older people perform daily activities. Community fall prevention programmes should screen for such fall-related dysfunction and provide strategies to minimise falls and enhance daily function.

COVID-19 affects emotional status and quality of life (QOL) as reported in various countries. Less is known about the relations between gender, emotional status, and QOL in vulnerable groups. The objectives of this study are to compare emotional status and QOL between women with and without ADHD, during COVID-19, to correlate between emotional status, daily life, and QOL of women with ADHD, and to predict their QOL by COVID-19 constraints and emotional status. This cross-sectional online survey included 46 with ADHD and 183 typically functioning women, aged 19 to 60, who completed the sociodemographic health and daily life during COVID-19 questionnaires; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21, and the WHOQOL-BREF. Women with ADHD had significantly higher stress and anxiety and lower physical and psychological QOL. Emotional status and daily constraints predicted their QOL. COVID-19 emotional impacts should receive greater attention in vulnerable groups, as women with ADHD, to enhance resilience, participation, and QOL.

Background.Meaningful occupational engagement is essential for successful aging. Sensory-processing abilities that are known to deteriorate with age may reduce occupational engagement. However, the relationship between sensory-processing abilities and occupational engagement among older persons in daily life is unknown.Purpose.This study examined the relationship between sensory-processing patterns and occupational engagement among older persons.Method.Participants were 180 people, ages 50 to 73 years, in good health, who lived in their homes. All participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile and the Activity Card Sort.Findings.Better registration of sensory input and greater sensory seeking were related to greater occupational engagement.Implications.Sensory-processing abilities among older persons and their relation to occupational engagement in various life settings should receive attention in research and practice. Occupational therapists should encourage older people to seek sensory input and provide them with rich sensory environments for enhancing meaningful engagement in real life.

IntroductionSensory processing disorders are prevalent among children with intellectual developmental deficits and negatively impact their daily routines. Eating, which is a major part of daily routines, is known to be frequently impaired among children with intellectual developmental deficits. This study aimed to examine the relationships between sensory processing disorders and eating problems in children with different levels of intellectual developmental deficit.MethodParticipants were 91 children aged 4 to 9 years: 25 with mild intellectual developmental deficits, 32 with moderate intellectual developmental deficits and 34 with severe/profound intellectual developmental deficits. All participants were recruited from special education kindergartens/schools for children with intellectual developmental deficits. Participants' primary caregiver in school completed the screening tool of eating problems and the short sensory profile.FindingsSignificant correlations between sensory processing disorders and eating problems were found in each intellectual developmental deficit level ( r = −.40, p ≤ .05 to r = −.57, p ≤ .001), but most correlations were found among children with moderate and severe/profound level. Energy level significantly predicted aspiration frequency; smell/taste sensitivity significantly predicted food selectivity and food refusal frequency.ConclusionEating problems should be screened among children with intellectual developmental deficits according to intellectual developmental deficit severity and other related factors such as sensory processing disorders. Applying this approach in occupational therapy intervention may contribute to a child's adaptive behaviour and performance in daily routines.

Background. Sensory-processing abilities are known to deteriorate in the elderly. As a result, daily activities such as handwriting may be impaired. Yet, knowledge about sensory-processing involvement in handwriting characteristics among older persons is limited. Purpose To examine how age influences sensory-processing abilities and the impact on handwriting as a daily performance. Method. The study participants were 118 healthy, independently functioning adults divided into four age groups: 31–45, 46–60, 61–75 and 76+ years. All participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Handwriting process was documented using the Computerized Handwriting Penmanship Evaluation Tool (ComPET). Findings. Age significantly affects sensory processing and handwriting pressure as well as temporal and spatial measures. Both handwriting time and spatial organization of the written product were predicted by sensory seeking. When examining age contribution to the prediction of handwriting by sensory processing, sensory seeking showed a tendency for predicting handwriting pressure (p = .06), while sensory sensitivity significantly predicted handwriting velocity. Implications. Age appears to influence sensory-processing abilities and affect daily performance tasks, such as handwriting, for which sensitivity and seeking for sensations are essential. Awareness of clinicians to sensory-processing deficits among older adults and examining their impact on broader daily activities are essential to improve daily performance and quality of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (1) validate the Hebrew version of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP); (2) screen sensory processing difficulties, as expressed in daily living in a vast range of ages of healthy Israeli adolescents, adults and older people; and (3) examine gender effect on sensory processing in the different age groups. Findings: Good internal consistency was found for each of the AASP quadrants, although factor analysis did not find total similarity between the Hebrew version of the AASP and the original AASP. Sensory processing difficulties were shown by 22–42% of the participants in the different age groups. Older participants had lower tendency for Sensation Seeking. Females were more sensitive than males in the age groups of 11–17 years and 18–64 years. Conclusion: In general, the Hebrew version of the AASP was found to be valid and succeeded in profiling sensory processing difficulties along the life span of typical Israeli adolescents and adults. Further studies should apply the Hebrew version of the AASP to screen sensory processing difficulties among individuals with disabilities and elaborate their impact on people's performance/participation in daily activities.

Purpose: Growing evidence exists regarding the relationship between sensory processing and affective disorders. However, most of this evidence relates to children. This study aimed to explore the relationship between positive/negative affect and sensory processing patterns as expressed in daily situations among healthy adults. Procedure: Two hundred and thirteen healthy individuals aged 18–50 years completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results: Negative affect correlated positively with Sensory Sensitivity, Sensation Avoiding and Low Registration. Positive affect correlated with Sensation Seeking. Conclusion: Sensory processing patterns might be related to the person's affect. In practical terms, this relationship among typical individuals suggests that people could benefit from knowledge about the impact of their sensory processing patterns on everyday life or, in some cases, from occupational therapy intervention. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to elucidate this relationship and its impacts on participation, quality of life and wellbeing.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between extreme sensory reactivity as expressed in daily living situations, and trait and state anxiety, among healthy individuals. Procedures: One hundred and thirty-five healthy individuals filled in the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile regarding their responses to daily sensory experiences. Anxiety was assessed by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Findings: Participants with sensory hypersensitivity, as well as those with Low Registration of sensory input, showed elevated trait anxiety and state anxiety. Men with lower registration had more elevated trait anxiety than women. Sensation Avoiding was found to be the significant predictor for state anxiety. Conclusion: Trait anxiety and state anxiety might be related to extreme sensory processing patterns. Occupational therapy intervention with people who express enhanced anxiety level should refer to their sensory reactivity as a means to optimise intervention outcomes, increase their self-confidence, improve their functioning and participation in daily living, and enhance their wellbeing.

Participation is recognised as a key to health and wellbeing and is considered to be a vital part of the development of children and youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the participation patterns of children and adolescents in their time outside formal school. More specifically, the influence of age and gender on after-school participation patterns was explored. Method: Three hundred and thirty-two children and adolescents (5 to 18 years old) were divided into five age groups and completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE). To test the interaction effect of gender and age on participation measures, ANOVAs were conducted. Results: The results indicated differences with moderate to high effect size in participation patterns across age, where a decline in participation was detected as children made the transition to adolescence. Differences with negligible effect size in participation were found between boys and girls in some of the activity types. No interaction effect between age and gender was observed. Conclusion: Participation patterns change with age, particularly as children make the transition to adolescence; however, this change does not depend on gender. Intervention strategies might take into account these inherent changes. Future studies might consider additional factors (for example, environment) while examining participation throughout age.

Background. One determinant of participation is activity preferences, which may be influenced by sensory processing patterns. Purpose. To compare daily activity preferences of Israeli children who have typical versus atypical sensory processing patterns, according to age and gender. Methods. Twenty-five children with atypical sensory processing patterns and 109 typical peers aged 6 – 10.75 years completed the Preference for Activities of Children (PAC) questionnaire. Sensory processing patterns were determined according to the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Results. Children with atypical sensory processing patterns showed greater preference for active physical activities. Lower energy level was correlated with greater preference for self-improvement activities. Practice implications. Activity preferences may be affected by children's sensory processing patterns. These effects are minimal among children with atypical sensory processing but no other co-morbidities. Evaluating these effects may assist in establishing occupational therapy interventions, facilitate children's engagement in the intervention, and enhance their participation in daily living.

Background. Knowledge about factors that affect participation, as preference of activities, has major intervention implications. Purpose. To evaluate culture and gender effects on Israeli Jewish and Druze children's preference of activities performed outside mandated school. This study used the “Preference Assessment of Children” (PAC) (King et al., 2004). Findings. On most scales, the Jewish children showed significantly less interest in activities than the Druze children. Among the Jews, girls showed higher preference in most PAC scales than boys while among the Druze girls showed higher preference than the boys only in social skills. Implications. Culture and gender may influence children's preference of activity. More studies should elaborate the knowledge about individuals' preferred activities; understanding the factors that affect these preferences may enhance occupational therapy evaluation and intervention processes. Canadian occupational therapists, as health care professionals in a multicultural society, must develop cultural competency and explore people's experience as cultural beings.