title: "You gotta try it all": Parents' Experiences with Robotic Gait Training for their Children with Cerebral Palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Innovative robotic technologies hold strong promise for improving walking abilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP), but may create expectations for parents pursuing the "newest thing" in treatment. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parents' values about walking in relation to their experiences with robotic gait training for their children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of five ambulatory children with CP participating in a randomized trial investigating robotic gait training effectiveness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents valued walking, especially "correct" walking, as a key component of their children's present and future well-being. They continually sought the "next best thing" in therapy and viewed the robotic gait trainer as a potentially revolutionary technology despite mixed experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results can help inform rehabilitation therapists' knowledge of parents' values and perspectives, and guide effective collaborations toward meeting the therapeutic needs of children with CP.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Briony
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beveridge
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feltracco
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Struyf
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Saniya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: b 2 Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto, Canada.|c 3 Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Shanon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phelan
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.|b 2 Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: F Virginia
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada.|b 2 Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Barbara E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012371:Robotics; D016138:Walking
keywords: Cerebral palsy; gait; mobility; parents; qualitative studies; rehabilitation; robotics; walking