INCREASING AWARENESS Increasing Awareness and Acceptance of Children with Disabilities through Children ’ s Picture Books

3 Introduction . 4 Importance of Participation . 5 Occupational Identity and Deprivation . 7 Occupational Justice . 12 Social Inclusion . 13 Disability Awareness Programs . 22 Children’s Picture Books . 25 Promoting Literacy . 27 Developmental Growth . 27 Acceptance of Self . 35 Transfer of Knowledge . 36 Current Status of Picture Books . 41 OT and Picture Books . 44 Occupational Justice . 45 Unique Focus . 46 Habilitative Services . 50 Co-­‐occupations . 51 Diversity and Identity . 52 Knowledge Translation . 53 Centennial Vision . 54 Entrepreneurialism . 55 Possibilities . 57 The Process of Writing Children’s Books . 59 Needs Assessment . 60 Questionnaire Results . 61 Writing . 63 Illustrations . 64 Publishing . 65 Marketing . 66 Innovation, Implementation . 68 Sample Manuscript . 70 Conclusion . 71 Self-­‐Reflections . 73 References . 79 Appendix . 92 INCREASING AWARENESS 3 Abstract Children with disabilities often demonstrate reduced participation in social occupations such as recess play, due to exclusion by others. Children without disabilities are often lacking understanding or awareness about a child’s disability and are therefore less likely to be accepting. Disability awareness simulation programs are often helpful in increasing level of inclusion and acceptance, but are costly and time-intensive (Hurst, Corning, & Ferrante, 2012). Children’s picture books can serve as educational tools to increase awareness and acceptance that are cost and time efficient (Turner, 2006). However, picture books featuring children with disabilities are vastly underrepresented, and there is a push within the publishing field to increase diversity (We Need Diverse Books, 2014). Occupational therapists, due to their expertise in analyzing needs and barriers, their skills in knowledge translation, and ability to promote health and wellness, are well equipped to write, publish, and/or disseminate children’s books about children with disabilities. Such books can promote wider recognition of occupational therapy, furthering the goals of the Centennial Vision (AOTA, 2007). There is also a multitude of nontraditional entrepreneurial possibilities and marketing opportunities associated with the writing or distribution of children’s books featuring children with disabilities. In addition to such books helping promote awareness and acceptance of children with disabilities, occupational therapists and clinics could directly and indirectly profit from the selling or distribution of these books. Keywords: disability, children, picture books, diversity, occupational therapy, entrepreneurial INCREASING AWARENESS 4 Increasing Awareness and Acceptance of Children with Disabilities through Children’s Picture Books Children with disabilities face barriers to occupational participation, whether related to client factors, performance skills, or contexts and environments (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014). Some barriers are easily addressed, such as modifications of physical environments, while others, particularly pertaining to social environment and cultural context, require nuanced navigation, sometimes at a community level. For example, many people without disabilities in the community are lacking awareness, understanding, and acceptance of children with disabilities, and therefore exclude them, whether inadvertently or deliberately (Hurst, Corning, & Ferrante, 2012). This social exclusion leads to occupational deprivation of children with disabilities, negatively affecting their quality of life, self-acceptance, developmental growth, and more (Dahan-Oliel, Shikako-Thomas, & Majnemer, 2012; Houtrow, 2012; Lawlor, 2003). Occupational therapists (OTs) have an ethical and moral imperative to address this injustice, considering that the OT profession is based on the fundamental belief that occupational participation is a basic human right (AOTA, 2010; World Health Organization [WHO], 2011). One of the main interventions currently used to promote awareness and acceptance of children with disabilities (hopefully leading to social inclusion and occupational participation) is disability awareness programs or events (Ison et al., 2010; Rillotta & Nettelbeck, 2007). However, such programs are typically costly, time-intensive, and local affairs. There may be similarly effective approaches that are inexpensive, require less time, and can more efficiently reach a broader audience. For example, bibliotherapy, or the use of books as a therapeutic tool, has been completely ignored within the field of occupational therapy, at least based the absence INCREASING AWARENESS 5 of literature. Yet there is a wealth of evidence in other fields that supports the use of children’s picture books as educational tools that can promote emotional competency and increase understanding of various issues (Gebarski et al., 2013; Turner, 2006). One could argue, based on synthesis of the literature, that the col