A modular seating system for cerebral-palsied children

An Approach to Seating for the Cerebral Palsied

In the light of a brief historical perspective of seating for the cerebral palsied, principles of seating for the able-bodied, and an approach to the assessment of the seating needs of the cerebral palsied, are discussed.

Wheelchair Seating: A State of the Science Report

Regardless of the field, agenda-setting processes are integral to establishing research and development priorities. Beginning in 1998, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research mandated that each newly funded Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center (RERC) hold a state-of-the-science consensus forum during the third year of its 5-year funding cycle. NIDRR's aim in formalizing this agenda-setting process was to facilitate the formulation of future research and development priorities for each respective RERC. In February 2001, the RERC on Wheeled Mobility, University of Pittsburgh, conducted one of the first such forums. The scope encompassed both current scientific knowledge and clinical issues. In preparation, expert interviews were carried out to establish the focus for the forum. Because a stakeholder forum on wheelchair technology had recently been held, opinion favored wheelchair seating as the focus and included the following core areas: seating for use in wheelchair transportation, seated postural control, seating discomfort, and tissue integrity management. The aim of this report is to present a summary of the workshop outcomes, describe the process, and increase awareness of this agenda-setting process in order to enhance future participation in a process that critically influences the field of wheeled mobility.

Improvement of functional sitting position for children with cerebral palsy

Twenty-three children with cerebral palsy were photographed and video-filmed in six different sitting positions--including a hypothetical functional position--and the video-films and photographs were analysed. It was found that pathological movements were minimised and postural control and arm and hand function best when the child was sitting in a forward-tipped seat, with a firm backrest supporting the pelvis, arms supported against a table and feet permitted to move backward.

Positioning Students with Cerebral Palsy to Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Many students who use augmentative and alternative communication have severe forms of cerebral palsy which make it necessary to consider positioning as part of their communication intervention. This paper reviews the interrelated communication and positioning needs of these students, and then proposes the wheelchair as the primary position for use of a communication aid. Guidelines for good wheelchair positioning are presented.

Seat insert for cerebral-palsied children with total body involvement

The sitting problems of cerebral-palsied children with total body involvement are discussed. A moulded seat-insert has been devised which resolves most of these problems. Custom-made for each child, the insert incorporates a head-support and the seat components are connected by hinges to allow some range of movement.

An Alternate Seating Device: The Bean Bag Chair

The design of this over-sized bean bag chair was originally developed as an alternate seating device for a spastic quadraplegic teenager although it is flexible enough to be used with a wide range of disabilities.

Effect of adaptive seating on pulmonary function of children with cerebral palsy

The vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and expiratory time (ET) of eight cerebral-palsied children aged between five and 12 years was measured, when seated in a regular sling-type wheelchair and in an adaptive seating system. The results showed a 57.7 per cent increase in VC, a 51.6 per cent increase in FEV1 as a percentage of VC, and a 55 per cent increase in ET in the adaptive seating system compared with the standard wheelchair. These results have important implications for speech, sitting for prolonged periods and prevention of hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension.