Children and young people
A visual way to share what matters to them, what feels manageable and what takes more effort.
Occupational therapy for everyday participation
Understand school and home life from the child’s point of view
A child-led card-sorting resource for exploring what a child values and feels able to do, what feels more challenging or takes greater effort, and what may be making participation harder.
Physical packs planned for November 2026. Pre-order details will be added soon.
School participation
Home participation
About the approach
Participation is more than whether a task is completed
A child may complete an activity and still need substantial prompting, effort or recovery. They may participate well in one subject, routine or environment and find a similar activity much harder somewhere else.
The cards offer the child a structured way to share their view and voice. They help adults organise useful information, understand where to begin and consider what support or environmental changes may make participation more possible.
Who it is for
Designed for collaborative conversations
Parents and carers
Support to identify which everyday activities matter most and choose a manageable place to begin.
SENCOs and education staff
A structured way to gather the child’s perspective and explore patterns across routines, subjects and environments.
Occupational therapists
An occupation-focused resource to support collaborative reasoning about the person, occupation and environment.
The purpose
Move from a broad concern to a meaningful starting point
Begin with everyday occupations, use the child’s own words and consider the interaction between the person, occupation and environment.
- Notice strengths and interests already supporting participation
- Recognise activities that look successful but require high effort or recovery
- Explore why participation changes across days, subjects, routines and environments
- Identify what affects the child most, not only what adults notice first
- Bring together useful information about support and environmental changes
- Agree a meaningful starting point for intervention or support
How it works
A flexible process for exploring a participation problem
Select the cards that fit the question. They can be used as a whole-deck snapshot or as a focused conversation about one routine, subject or area of participation.
- 1
Choose a focus
Start with the problem, question or part of everyday life that the child and adult want to understand.
- 2
Select
Choose the smallest useful group of cards. The whole deck does not need to be used.
- 3
Sort
The child sorts the activities according to their own experience at that time.
- 4
Prioritise and explore
Ask what matters most and gather clues about the person, occupation, environment and participation cost.
- 5
Plan and review
Agree where to begin and what support or environmental change may be useful.
School and home cards
Choose the pack that fits the participation question
Each physical pack is being developed for flexible use by occupational therapists, SENCOs and other adults supporting a child. Final contents remain subject to professional review.
Pre-order information
Expected dispatch: November 2026
Pre-orders will be completed securely through Payhip. Prices, postage and the confirmed dispatch date will be shown before purchase.
School pack
Participation across the school day
Explore patterns across lessons, routines, subjects and environments—and what the child feels has the greatest impact on their participation.
Card headings
Getting StartedWriting and RecordingGetting OrganisedJoining InFollowing InstructionsThinking and OrganisingMoving Around SchoolCommunicationHomeworkSubjects and Learning
Planned pack contents
- 56 child-led participation cards
- Sorting and prioritising prompts
- Subject reflection prompts
- Practitioner manual
- SENCO or therapist check and recording sheet
Home pack
Participation at home and in the community
Explore self-care, responsibilities, rest, relationships and community life, including homework and home learning.
Card headings
Getting StartedLooking After MyselfHome Routines and ResponsibilitiesHomework and Home LearningThinking and OrganisingRest, Play and InterestsFamily and FriendsGetting Out and AboutCommunication
Planned pack contents
- 56 child-led participation and prioritising cards
- Sorting and prioritising prompts
- Practitioner guidance
- Therapist or supporting-adult recording sheet
Professional boundaries
This is not a test
The card sort does not produce a score and must not be used as an outcome measure. It cannot diagnose or determine the cause of a child’s difficulty. The completed sort is a snapshot of the child’s view at that time, shaped by the activity, environment, day and relationship. It should be used to guide conversation, collaborative reasoning and a possible starting point for support.
Download resources
See the approach before choosing a pack
Free information and sample resources will be added here as they are finalised.
Sample download
A sample from the practitioner manual
A short preview of the purpose, professional boundaries, card-sorting process and a worked example. The full manual will be supplied with the packs.
Coming soonFree guide
Executive function and everyday participation
An introduction to looking beyond an observed difficulty and gathering clues about participation at home and school.
Being preparedFree tools
Task initiation starter resources
A simple strategy menu and a worksheet to help identify one meaningful activity in which getting started is difficult.
Being preparedContact us
Questions about Participation Detective™?
This website is an information-only home for the cards and downloadable resources. Contact details will be added here before pre-orders open.