Student-school fit for childrem with disabilities: The mediating role of independent participation from parents’ perspectives

In this study we employ a cross-sectional survey design to explore the perspectives of parents whose children receive therapeutic support services as part of their special education. We focus on the mediating role of parents’ perception of their child’s independent participation in school in the relationship between the perceived provision of 17 school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) standards and the perceived environmental fit of their child, as assessed by the school setting interview (SSI). We analyze data from 120 parents, gathered through snowball sampling. Via principal component analysis, we identify two key factors: “holistic” and “structured.” Through a three-step regression analysis, we examine the mediating effect of school participation level on the relationship between the reception of holistic and structured SBOT factors and SSI. The results indicate that “school participation level” partially mediates the positive impact of “reception of both holistic and structured SBOT factors” on SSI, suggesting that multidisciplinary, theory-based SBOT approaches are vital in enhancing student-environment fit for children with disabilities.