Powered mobility training in young children with cerebral palsy
At a glance
- Project leader : Prof. Dr. Brigitte Gantschnig
- Project team : André Meichtry
- Project status : completed
- Funding partner : Foundation (Stiftung für Abendländische Ethik und Kultur STAB, Schweizerische Stiftung für das cerebral gelähmte Kind, Stiftung für Ergotherapie Zürich, Ebnet-Stiftung)
- Contact person : Brigitte Gantschnig
Description
Background
Children with disability (e.g., cerebral palsy) have problems in
body functions and structures which often impact their mobility and
participation in different areas of life (e.g., school). Earlier
studies showed that enabling mobility of children with disability
due to powered mobility facilitate their development, independence
and self-esteem. However, powered mobility training with
small children is not well known or established.
Aim
The aim of this case study was to investigate if and how powered
mobility training had an effect on children with cerebral palsy’s
(CP) driving distance, learning to use a powered wheelchair,
quality of task performance, and quality of social interaction.
Methods
The method employed was a single-case study with a time series
design (A-A-B-A-B). In control phases A, the participants were
their own controls. In intervention phases B, powered mobility
training was implemented in weekly 45-60 minute sessions over the
course of 3 months. The outcome was measured with mobility in
meters/session, the Assessment of Learning Powered Mobility Use
(ALP), Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), Paediatric
Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and Evaluation of Social
Interaction (ESI).
Results
Using data gathered from two children with CP (2.3-4.0 years), the
results revealed clinically meaningful intervention effects
measured with the ALP, AMPS, ESI, partly clinically meaningful
effects measured with the scaled values of the PEDI, and no
clinically meaningful effects measured with the t-values of the
PEDI.
Interpretation. Powered mobility training has an effect on
children’s mobility, on their levels of learning, their quality of
social interaction and ADL task performance. It is important to use
multiple measures to assess different effects of the
intervention.
Project Partner:
- Susanne Rönnfeld, MSc Neuroorthopädics (Eastern Swiss Childrens Hospital, Centre of Neurology, Development and Rehabilitation – KER-centre, St. Gallen, Switzerland) and
- Lisbeth Nilsson PhD (independent researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Health Science, Research Group Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, Lund University, Sweden)
www.kofam.ch/de/studienportal/nach-klinischen-versuchen-suchen/
Further information
Publications
-
Gantschnig, Brigitte; Rönnfeld, Susanne; Nilsson, Lisbeth,
2020.
Elektrorollstuhl-Training bei kleinen Kindern mit Zerebralparese.
Orthopädie-Technik.
2020(7), pp. 42-49.
-
Gantschnig, Brigitte; Rönnfeld, Susanne,
2019.
In:
Abstractbook ergo 5.0.
5. Kongress der Ergotherapie in der Schweiz, Locarno, 6 - 7 September 2019.
Zürich:
ErgotherapeutInnen-Verband Schweiz.