The Jo Benetton’s theoretical-methodological framework in occupational therapy with children: a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The Brazilian theoretical-methodological framework constructed by Jô Benetton, now called the Dynamic Occupational Therapy Method, supports the practice of occupational therapy with different populations, including children. There is a vast production of articles that require systematization to understand their scope. Objective Summarize and describe productions that use this framework with children and identify gaps in the literature. Methodology Scope review, with selection of studies in libraries and digital databases (VHL; CAPES Periodical Portal, SciELO), websites (Google Scholar) and search tools for national journals in the area; manual search in CETO Magazine, and complementary strategies. Peer-reviewed articles, gray literature, without deadline, in Portuguese or English were included. Descriptive data were analyzed using simple statistics and qualitative data received thematic analysis. Results 2,152 studies were identified, 106 selected after reading the title/abstract, 56 of which were duplicates. Of the 50 studies read in full, 26 were for final analysis. The majority were characterized by experience reports published in Revista CETO, in the 2000s, in Portuguese. The five identified themes explain the studies' adherence to the Occupational Therapy Paradigm, analyzing the needs of children situationally, with free and dynamic interventions centered on the triadic relationship, including relevant people from the children's daily lives, and with the still timid use of activity analysis by the children. Conclusion This study contributes to giving visibility to a body of theoretical-practical knowledge built in the Brazilian reality, congruent with the main evidence that aims to increase the engagement and participation of children with different problems in everyday activities.