Effect of Adaptive Seating Devices on the Activity Performance of Children With Cerebral Palsy
By Rigby, Patricia J.; Ryan, Stephen E.; Campbell, Kent A.; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 90, No. 8, pp. 1389-1395Publication Date: August 2009
Study evaluated the short-term impact of two adaptive seating devices on the activity performance of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Study participants were 30 parents and their children with CP. Children had a mean age of 4 years 6 months and a level of gross motor function which required trunk support for sitting and hand function. Participating parents each identified 3 to 5 activity performance issues for their children, and the resulting 139 issues were organized into 3 categories: (1) self-care, including eating, self-feeding, toileting, grooming, and dressing; (2) play, such as holding toys, writing, playing games, and using a computer; and (3) socialization and quiet recreation, including sitting up to watch television or turning pages in a book. Children were supplied with the Flip2Sit activity seat for floor and table activities and the Aquanaut toileting system for toileting and grooming. Changes in activity performance and satisfaction with the devices were measured through parent ratings on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, and parents were interviewed biweekly using the Home Activity Log during the 6-week intervention phase. Interview results revealed 3 themes: (a) adaptive seating can have an enabling influence on the child, (b) caregivers and family found adaptive seating useful, and (c) the adaptive seating devices did not meet every family’s needs. Parents reported that their children were more able to engage in self-care and play activities when using the devices; however, the seating devices did not meet every family’s needs. Study limitations and implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: AQUANAUT (MODEL 180-00)
FLIP2SIT
Published by: W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Health Sciences (Website:http://us.elsevierhealth.com)
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Web Site: http://www.aapmr.org/ )
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.acrm.org )
Link to text: http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(09)00311-6
