Developmental disabilites

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...

I love the adaptive tricycle and the opportunities it affords many of my students. But how often have insurance companies denied requests for adaptive tricycles because they only see the recreational purpose? For my students with the most severe disabilities, the tricycle is a life-saver, and often the only piece of adaptive equipment that will help them achieve functional gains and participation. I&rsquo...

Rifton’s new Pacer gait trainer has three options for weight-bearing assistance and positioning of the hip girdle:   1. the multi-positioning saddle   2. the hip positioner,  and   3. the pelvic support Here’s a brief description of each with our recommendations to help you choose the right one for your clients. Multi-Positioning Saddle The multi...

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...

Three years ago, because of significant work-place injury among the region’s educational staff, I along with other physical therapists from High Desert Education Service District’s (HDESD) proposed a safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) policy which the region’s special education directors endorsed. This involved obtaining and teaching school staff how to use mechanical devices to...

Early Gait Training: Positive Outcomes for the Long Term Think about it. The more you practice, the better you get – at anything. As author Malcolm Gladwell explains in his book “Outliers,” the one point that distinguishes a violinist from a virtuoso is practice- at least 10,000 hours of it. This applies to any field regardless of nature or nurture. So with early gait training, a child...