EM-Powering Children for Movement Exploration and Success: A Case Series
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Children with severe motor, cognitive, and communication deficits have limited self-mobility skills. Our Power Wheelchair Trainer (Trainer) provides an opportunity for children to safely explore power mobility and their environment. SUBJECTS: Three children (ages 18, 7, and 7 years) with cerebral palsy at Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV or V. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The Trainer allows a manual wheelchair to be temporarily converted to a power wheelchair permitting children to practice power mobility in their own chair. The control panel interfaces with traditional joystick or switch use. Examination procedures included the Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD), the Power Mobility Screen, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test, and assessment of power access options using switches or a joystick. Individualized interventions focused on structured repetition of mobility tasks and opportunities for self-directed exploration. Frequency and duration ranged from 30-60 minutes, 2-3 times per week for up to 12 weeks. ANALYSES: Beginning sessions were characterized by accidental activation. As familiarity increased, independent purposeful activation increased and movement exploration emerged. RESULTS: Increases in purposeful stops and obstacle avoidance were observed. All cases demonstrated improvements on the Power Mobility Screen and 2 on the CPCHILD. All participants’ parents reported incidental benefits in contentment and engagement. CONCLUSIONS: With consistent, repetitive practice, participants demonstrated improvements in environmental exploration while simultaneously improving skills for power mobility. Future research includes the development of child-centered instructional methods and valid assessment instruments to optimize use of the Trainer.
EM-Powering Children for Movement Exploration and Success: A Case Series
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Children with severe motor, cognitive, and communication deficits have limited self-mobility skills. Our Power Wheelchair Trainer (Trainer) provides an opportunity for children to safely explore power mobility and their environment. SUBJECTS: Three children (ages 18, 7, and 7 years) with cerebral palsy at Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV or V. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The Trainer allows a manual wheelchair to be temporarily converted to a power wheelchair permitting children to practice power mobility in their own chair. The control panel interfaces with traditional joystick or switch use. Examination procedures included the Caregiver Priorities & Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD), the Power Mobility Screen, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test, and assessment of power access options using switches or a joystick. Individualized interventions focused on structured repetition of mobility tasks and opportunities for self-directed exploration. Frequency and duration ranged from 30-60 minutes, 2-3 times per week for up to 12 weeks. ANALYSES: Beginning sessions were characterized by accidental activation. As familiarity increased, independent purposeful activation increased and movement exploration emerged. RESULTS: Increases in purposeful stops and obstacle avoidance were observed. All cases demonstrated improvements on the Power Mobility Screen and 2 on the CPCHILD. All participants’ parents reported incidental benefits in contentment and engagement. CONCLUSIONS: With consistent, repetitive practice, participants demonstrated improvements in environmental exploration while simultaneously improving skills for power mobility. Future research includes the development of child-centered instructional methods and valid assessment instruments to optimize use of the Trainer.