Learning Through Moving: Pediatric Wheeled Mobility

Registration: Please go to: http://bit.ly/NatickMA_102819 

Contacts: Ginger Walls, Permobil Regional Education Manager, at ginger.walls@permobil.com 

Presenter: Ginger Walls, PT, MS, NCS, ATP/SMS 

Target Audience: This program is designed for Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Assistive Technology Professionals, and Medical Suppliers/Providers. 

Agenda: 

5:30pm – 6:00pm Dinner provided!

6:00pm – 8:00pm Learning Through Moving: Pediatric Wheeled Mobility* (0.2 CEU/CCU) 

General Overview:

When is the right time for introducing pediatric mobility equipment? How does one choose a device to maximize a child’s safety, independence, and exploration? What equipment options allow for growing bodies and changing skills? This course aims to address these questions and help the audience understand and articulate a child’s skills and abilities, prior to prescribing a piece of wheeled mobility equipment. Pediatric mobility issues can be extremely complex, and families often have reservation regarding their use.  Through a review of the current research and various case examples, this two-hour course will highlight the importance of providing access to independent mobility to maximize a child’s cognitive, perceptual, and socialization skills. Current equipment options, including low-tech and high-tech options for mobility will be discussed. Strategies of training mobility skills for both power and manual wheelchair use will be discussed. Additionally, methods of optimizing the fit of a manual mobility device for a growing client will be detailed. Time will be allotted for audience participation and discussion.

CEU Objectives: By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the potential impact of using assistive technology to promote mobility experiences to a child’s development.
2. Summarize the categories of mobility equipment options available for use with pediatric clients.
3. Explain two methods of providing growth in a manual wheelchair for a pediatric client.
4. Identify three common reservations parents/caregivers have when faced with mobility device interventions and devise a potential strategy to address each reason.