Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Many children with disorders such as cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, neuromuscular diseases, or spinal cord injury, have limited ability to move about (mobility). It is estimated that 25,000 children under 15 years in Canada have a mobility limitation. Many use manual wheelchairs or electric wheelchairs (power mobility). Although estimates are not available for children, it is believed that a large number of the >150,000 Canadians who rely on wheelchairs are children. Providing power mobility at an early age for children who lack the ability to move on their own promotes healthy development, but the impact on participation is unknown. Participation in meaningful life activities (like play and learning) builds confidence, develops skill, helps with getting along with others, and ultimately increases growth and independence. Therapists help children choose equipment to assist them in doing the activities they want or need to do. Therapists use outcome measures to prioritize goals, monitor progress and evaluate success. It is unclear what outcomes are important, or what tools to use to assess the impact of power mobility on participation. The high cost of providing power mobility equipment ($5,000 to $50,000) requires decisions based on solid information to ensure resources are used appropriately. A two-phase study will develop and evaluate a toolkit of measures that will assist all involved in determining how power mobility affects participation for children. Phase 1 will use a three-round process to identify and confirm the important factors and outcome measures to use. Phase 2 will determine the reliability and validity of those measures. Results will provide tools to evaluate the impact of power mobility on participation, helping people make informed decisions about power mobility use.