Functional outcomes associated with adaptive seating interventions in children and youth with wheeled mobility needs

Abstract

Objective: To determine the parent-reported functional outcomes associated with adaptive seating devices for wheeled mobility devices used by young people aged 1 to 17 years.

Design: Longitudinal case series.

Setting: Homes of participating parents.

Participants: Parents (N=70, 63 mothers, 6 fathers, 1 grandmother) who had children with adaptive seating needs.

Intervention: Adaptive seating system for wheeled mobility devices.

Main outcome measure: Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale for Adaptive Seating (FIATS-AS).

Results: All parents completed the FIATS-AS 4 times-2 times before and 2 times after their child received a new adaptive seating system. Mixed-design analysis of variance did not detect significant mean differences among the FIATS-AS scores measured at baseline and 2 and 8 months after receiving the seating system (F2,134=.22, P=.81). However, the FIATS-AS detected a significant interaction between age cohort and interview time (F4,134=4.5, P<.001, partial η(2)=.16). Post hoc testing confirmed that 8 months after receiving the seating system was associated with a large improvement in child and family functioning for children <4 years, maintenance of functioning for children between 4 and 12 years, and a moderate decline in functioning for youth between 13 and 17 years.

Conclusions: Adaptive seating interventions for wheeled mobility devices are associated with functional changes in the lives of children and their families that interact inversely with age. Future controlled longitudinal studies could provide further empirical evidence of functional changes in the lives of children and their families after the introduction and long-term use of specific adaptive seating interventions.

Keywords: Family; Outcome assessment (health care); Rehabilitation; Self-help devices; Wheelchairs.