Activities of daily living

The Posture and Postural Ability Scale or P-PAS is a tool that can be used to assess posture, postural ability and the quality of posture in prone, supine, sitting and standing positions. Posture, in this context, refers to the anatomical alignment of body parts in relationship to each other and the environment.

At Desert Mountain SELPA in Apple Valley, California, we’ve discovered a creative solution for seated transfers with the TRAM. This method works really well, particularly for the more profoundly involved kids. Using the standard approach shown in the TRAM Quick Reference Guide (with a thigh strap placed separately under each leg) often results in the body support system riding up the student’s...

Twenty-four-hour posture care management is quite new in North America, but its roots go back to the 1980s with foundational work occurring even earlier. Children and adults with dysfunctions of muscle tone, reflexes, muscle weakness and joint contracture have impaired movement and develop adverse postures as a direct consequence of their positioning relative to gravity. These can result in complications...

When we’re talking about activities of daily living, it doesn’t get more basic—and more personal—than toileting. But the process of toileting is also a valuable opportunity to teach transfer, standing and hygiene skills—all essential to building independence in self-care. A successful and thoroughly dignified approach to incorporating these skills into the toileting routine is...

It all started when therapists from the three special day schools of Baltimore County Public Schools sat down to talk at one of our yearly meetings. The discussion turned from the mundane to the visionary, how to provide more functional, purposeful activities for our kiddos throughout the day. And, of all things, we talked about toileting. As a vital part of the student’s day, we wanted the toileting...