Adaptive standing

PT/OT The Sugar Rush Bakery November 14, 2017 by Deanne Inkell, DPT
A young woman uses adaptive equipment for standing skills as she works in the kitchen.
Action-packed days are the norm in the Meadowood Program,- a branch of the Red Clay School District that provides Special Education services.  Our goal is to use every opportunity to teach by embedding IEP skills into daily activities. Our student-focused approach supported by our team of therapists, classroom teachers and paraprofessionals follows the Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE)...
PT/OT Using Adaptive Equipment to Foster Participation in Vocational Settings August 04, 2017 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A woman with disabilities stands in a red Pacer gait trainer to access her vocational work in a sheltered workshop.
Physical therapists have long advocated for the use of standers and gait trainers to support the mobility, accessibility and health needs of youth and adults with mobility impairments including education of families/school teams and use of equipment in activity programs. Use of gait trainers, standers and other mobility devices allow individuals mobility they would not be able to achieve due to...
Tips & Advice Ingenious Solutions from the Field: Increasing Abduction Range on the Small Prone Stander November 01, 2016 by Elena Noble, MPT
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Supported standing for children with disabilities has many health benefits, among them maintaining hip integrity for the prevention of hip dislocations. To achieve optimal hip stability through adapted standing routines, lower extremity abduction is important. A recent literature review indicated that standing to improve hip  stability should be in 30 to 60 degrees abduction for 60 minutes daily...
PT/OT Winning the Funding Battle for Standing Devices March 24, 2016 by Melissa K Tally, PT, MPT, ATP and Erin M Pope, PT, MPT, ATP
A young girl positioned in a standing mobility device points to her communication tray.
For all of us, standing is an integral part of the developmental sequence. And particularly for people with motor impairments and physical disabilities it is one of the key building blocks that leads to exploratory mobility. (Bower, E.) A child who is unable to stand may be missing out on developmental learning and interaction with the environment. We know the many benefits of standing as well: improved...
PT/OT Adaptive Equipment for Classrooms Series: Part 2 of 3 March 07, 2016 by Gilbert Thomson, PT
A teacher helps a student in the classroom transition from adaptive standing equipment to a chair
Today’s post is the second in a series of articles on the topic of adaptive equipment use in the classroom. Adaptive equipment, used appropriately, serves as a teaching tool for students to learn motor skills such as sitting, standing, and walking, while engaged in the curriculum. This post focuses on standing, including research evidence and tips to promote standing as a motor skill. Adaptive...
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Comparing 3 Pediatric Gait Trainers February 09, 2016 by Elena Noble, MPT
A pink Rifton Pacer pediatric gait trainer showing all prompt accessories
Children with disabilities benefit both physically and socially from opportunities for independent mobility. This has been well-established (and documented) in the therapy community. In cases where children can’t ambulate independently, supportive gait training equipment helps them move to their maximum potentials. Currently there are a number of adaptive gait trainers available to this population...
PT/OT Evidence Update: Supported Standing Protocols December 07, 2015 by Elena Noble, MPT
A therapist talks to an adult patient with a neurological condition during a therapeutic standing protocol
For decades already we’ve seen standing programs used as a therapeutic intervention for adults with neurological conditions. We’ve known that without such intervention, patients with spinal cord injuries, strokes, traumatic brain injuries or multiple sclerosis spend hours and hours each day in sedentary postures—with devastating results. Sitting for upwards of eight hours a day leads to...
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Standing Programs for Hip Flexibility July 27, 2015 by Elena Noble, MPT
A young boy with spastic cerebral palsy smiles and claps his hand as while in a standing device
Secondary to the motor disorders which affect their physical development, children with spastic cerebral palsy tend to lose lower limb range of motion between infancy and adolescence. Researchers have measured hip abduction decreases of nine degrees in this population. Since loss of hip abduction makes balance and walking difficult, maintaining hip abduction becomes a crucial intervention. Because of...
PT/OT Improved Rehab Intervention with the TRAM May 26, 2015 by Jackie Honeyfield, PT
A stroke patient using a Rifton TRAM during a rehabilitation intervention session with her therapist
The Rifton TRAM is a great addition to our skilled rehabilitation department, especially for those patients with neurological deficits. One therapist can safely assist a patient in the TRAM through a functional mobility progression starting with sitting balance on the edge of the bed, standing tolerance, posture and then gait normalization. In the past, many of these therapeutic activities needed multiple...
Stories A Rifton Pacer Testimonial April 20, 2015 by Elena Noble, MPT
Jimmie Childress in a Rifton Pacer doing gait training at home.
I purchased my Rifton Pacer in the fall of 2014 and it’s been one of the best purchases I ever made. I’d like to tell you about it. But I need to go back to December 2010 when my health problems began. First there was poor vision and drooping on one side of my face. Balance and speech difficulties came next. The symptoms progressively worsened until I was left with a paralyzed face and unable...
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