Effects of a wheelchair-mounted rigid pelvic stabilizer on caregiver assistance for children with cerebral palsy.
A within-subjects repeated measures (A1, B, A2) design was used to study the impact of a rigid pelvic stabilizer (RPS) compared with a traditional lap belt on the caregiver assistance requirements of six children with cerebral palsy as they completed functional tasks from their wheelchair seating system. Study participants wore a lap belt during the 3-week baseline phases (A1 and A2). The RPS was used during the 5-week intervention phase (B). At baseline, each child and parent identified five bimanual or reaching tasks with which the child had difficulty. Using a six-point scale, each parent (caregiver) rated the degree of assistance the child required to do each task. Parents also maintained a log, recording how many times the child was repositioned daily. The RPS appeared to impact directly on reducing caregiver assistance for 30% of the tasks, as the need for assistance was less during phase B when the RPS was used and was greater during phases A1 and A2 when the lap belt was worn. Five children required repositioning less often during phase B than during the A phases. The RPS reduced the child's need for caregiver assistance for some bimanual and reaching tasks as well as for repositioning.
Rigby
P
P
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 256 McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1W5, Canada. prigby@bloorviewmacmillan.on.ca
Reid
D
D
Schoger
S
S
Ryan
S
S
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017028:Caregivers; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014910:Wheelchairs