Reframing Our Language in Pediatric Disability: Understanding Behavior as Communication Every behavior, especially in children with limited verbal skills, is a form of communication – a signal about their inner state. Rather than seeing a child's behavior as an obstacle or disruption, we as healthcare professionals must view it as an opportunity to understand the child's experiences and challenges. 2024-12-16 Keep Reading
Developing the Foundation for Pediatric Wheelchair Skills Transitioning from a stroller to a self-propelling wheelchair is a significant milestone in a child's journey towards independence. As therapists, we play a crucial role in facilitating this transition, ensuring that children not only adapt to using a wheelchair but thrive in doing so. Developing wheelchair skills early is paramount, as it sets the foundation for mobility, independence, and confidence. By introducing essential skills and exercises when the child is developmentally ready, we can make this transition smoother and more empowering for our young clients. 2024-12-02 Keep Reading
Technology and Wheelchair Energy Efficiency Wheelchair propulsion is an inherently high energy consuming task. Efficient wheelchairs reduce a person's effort in propulsion, leaving energy to do valued daily tasks throughout the day. An efficient wheelchair isn't only for ease of moving a wheelchair around, it's an integral part of fatigue management. This effect is even more critical for people who have underlying conditions associated with fatigue like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, and long COVID. The longer and more challenging distances someone travels, the greater impact an energy efficient wheelchair has on all daily living activities. 2024-11-18 Keep Reading
The Importance of Material Quality in Wheelchair Manufacturing Riders will often identify weight as a primary consideration when choosing a wheelchair and communicate a desire to pursue a wheelchair made of a particular material in an effort to reduce weight, improve propulsion efficiency, and increase the ease with which they can independently lift the unoccupied wheelchair. However, the weight of a wheelchair is not necessarily dependent upon the material selected. So, of all the products and materials available, the question is how can the quality of an ULWC be measured? 2024-11-18 Keep Reading
Using a Visualizer to Assist with Wheelchair Evaluations Recognizing the importance of providing each rider with knowledge of all the options available to them, the team at Sunrise Medical has created visualizers for both the QUICKIE QS5 X and Nitrum manual wheelchairs. 2024-11-18 Keep Reading
