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Roslyn Livingstone
MSc

Investigator, BC Children's Hospital

In North America, there are few power mobility devices suitable for young children from one to five years of age. Aesthetics, portability, weight and safety considerations are believed to be important to families of young children. Our current research is exploring family and therapist perceptions of several novel early power mobility devices such as adapted ride-on toys and miniature power wheelchairs. Some families and children will be given the opportunity to borrow this equipment for a six-month loan to explore how this equipment can be integrated into family life and how children benefit. We hope to expand this research into a larger scale loan program in BC that will include ongoing data collection regarding benefits of early power mobility for children and families.

Academic Affiliations

  • Clinical Assistant Professor, , Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
  • Research Theme: Evidence to Innovation
  • Research Group(s): Clinical Practice, Outcomes and Innovation

Contact Information

(250) 296-3664

roslyn.livingstone@ubc.ca

Promoting Functional Mobility in Individuals with Non-Ambulatory Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review of the MOVE Programme

Children

Riclef Schomerus and Ginny S. Paleg and Roslyn W. Livingstone and Britta Dawal and Liane Bchler

DOI: 10.3390/children13020292

02 / 2026

Wheeled Mobility, Seating, and Bathroom Device Use by Children With Cerebral Palsy

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy

Roslyn W. Livingstone and Debra A. Field

DOI: 10.1177/00084174261421406

02 / 2026

Commentary on "Quantifying Parental Perceptions of Their Experiences With Their Young Children's Use of Power Mobility Devices"

Pediatric Physical Therapy the Official Publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association

Livingstone, R.W. and Paleg, G.S. and Erickson, D.C.

DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000001167

Standing behaviour of non-ambulant children and youth using powered wheelchair standing devices (PWSDs): an interrupted time series pilot study

Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology

Field, D.A. and Borisoff, J. and Chan, F.H.N. and Livingstone, R.W. and Miller, W.C.

DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2529509

Incidence of hip problems in developmental central hypotonia: A scoping review

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

Livingstone, R.W. and Paleg, G.S. and Shrader, M.W. and Miller, F. and Rodby-Bousquet, E.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.16124

Occupational and Physical Therapy Interventions for Young Children with Developmental Central Hypotonia: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Disabilities

Paleg, G.S. and Hidalgo Robles, ?. and Govender, P. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.3390/disabilities5010014

Supported standing and stepping device use in young children with cerebral palsy, gross motor function classification system III, IV and V: A descriptive study

Assistive Technology

Livingstone, R.W. and Paleg, G.S. and Field, D.A.

DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2023.2283461

Identifying and Evaluating Young Children with Developmental Central Hypotonia: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Tools

Healthcare (Switzerland)

Hidalgo Robles, ?. and Paleg, G.S. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12040493

Supported Standing and Supported Stepping Devices for Children with Non-Ambulant Cerebral Palsy: An Interdependence and F-Words Focus

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Paleg, G.S. and Williams, S.A. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060669

Standing power wheelchairs and their use by children and youth with mobility limitations: an interrupted time series

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

Field, D.A. and Borisoff, J. and Chan, F.H.N. and Livingstone, R.W. and Miller, W.C.

DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2096933

Identifying Opportunities for Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy

Children

Hornby, B. and Paleg, G.S. and Williams, S.A. and Hidalgo-Robles, ?. and Livingstone, R.W. and Montufar Wright, P.E. and Taylor, A. and Shrader, M.W.

DOI: 10.3390/children11050515

Exploring change in young childrens power mobility skill following several months experience

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

Roslyn W. Livingstone and Debra A. Field

DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1847207

04 / 2023

Supported-standing interventions for children and young adults with non-ambulant cerebral palsy: A scoping review

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

McLean, L.J. and Paleg, G.S. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15435

RESNA position on the application of power mobility devices for pediatric users

Assistive Technology

Rosen, L. and Plummer, T. and Sabet, A. and Lange, M.L. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2017.1415575

Power Mobility, Supported Standing and Stepping Device Use in the First Two Years of Life: A Case Report of Twins Functioning at GMFCS V

Disabilities

Livingstone, R.W. and Chin, A.J. and Paleg, G.S.

DOI: 10.3390/disabilities3040032

Use of Overground Supported-Stepping Devices for Non-Ambulant Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review

Disabilities

Livingstone, R.W. and Paleg, G.S.

DOI: 10.3390/disabilities3020012

Beginning power mobility: parent and therapist perspectives

Disability and Rehabilitation

Roslyn Livingstone and Debra Field and Colleen Sanderson and Nicole Pineau and Jill G. Zwicker

DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1842916

06 / 2022

Parents and Therapists Satisfaction with Four Early Childhood Power Mobility Devices,Satisfaction des parents et des thrapeutes l'gard de quatre dispositifs d'aide la mobilit motoriss pour jeunes enfants

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy

Field, D.A. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.1177/00084174221098879

Evidence-informed clinical perspectives on postural management for hip health in children and adults with non-ambulant cerebral palsy

Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.3233/PRM-220002

Exploring young childrens activity and participation change following 6 months power mobility experience

British Journal of Occupational Therapy

Roslyn W Livingstone and Debra A Field

DOI: 10.1177/0308022620973935

11 / 2021

Enhancing Function, Fun and Participation with Assistive Devices, Adaptive Positioning, and Augmented Mobility for Young Children with Infantile-Onset Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Scoping Review and Illustrative Case Report

Disabilities

Roslyn Livingstone and Ginny Paleg

DOI: 10.3390/disabilities1010001

01 / 2021

Beginning power mobility: An exploration of factors associated with child use of early power mobility devices and parent device preference

Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering

Roslyn W Livingstone and Jeffrey Bone and Debra A Field

DOI: 10.1177/2055668320926046

01 / 2020

American and Canadian therapists perspectives of age and cognitive skills for paediatric power mobility: a qualitative study

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

Kenyon, L.K. and Jones, M. and Breaux, B. and Tsotsoros, J. and Gardner, T. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2019.1606858

Power mobility skill progression for children and adolescents: a systematic review of measures and their clinical application

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

Field, D.A. and Livingstone, R.W.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13709

Power mobility for children: a survey study of American and Canadian therapists perspectives and practices

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

Kenyon, L.K. and Jones, M. and Livingstone, R. and Breaux, B. and Tsotsoros, J. and Williams, K.M.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13960

Interventions to improve sensory and motor outcomes for young children with central hypotonia: A systematic review

Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

Paleg, G. and Romness, M. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.3233/PRM-170507

Commentary on "ride-On Car Training for Behavioral Changes in Mobility and Socialization among Young Children with Disabilities"

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000401

Measuring Outcomes for Children with Cerebral Palsy Who Use Gait Trainers

Technologies

DOI: 10.3390/technologies4030022

08 / 2016

Physical risk factors influencing wheeled mobility in children with cerebral palsy: A cross-sectional study

BMC Pediatrics

Rodby-Bousquet, E. and Paleg, G. and Casey, J. and Wizert, A. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1186/s12887-016-0707-6

Evidence-informed clinical perspectives on selecting gait trainer features for children with cerebral palsy

International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation

Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.12968/ijtr.2016.23.9.444

Comparison of the inertial properties and forces required to initiate movement for three gait trainers

Assistive Technology

Paleg, G. and Huang, M. and Vasquez Gabela, S.C. and Sprigle, S. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2015.1123780

Facilitating interprofessional evidence-based practice in paediatric rehabilitation: Development, implementation and evaluation of an online toolkit for health professionals

Disability and Rehabilitation

Glegg, S.M.N. and Livingstone, R. and Montgomery, I.

DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2015.1041616

Systematic review and clinical recommendations for dosage of supported home-based standing programs for adults with stroke, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1186/s12891-015-0813-x

The child and family experience of power mobility: A qualitative synthesis

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

Livingstone, R. and Field, D.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12633

Outcomes of gait trainer use in home and school settings for children with motor impairments: A systematic review

Clinical Rehabilitation

Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1177/0269215514565947

Practice considerations for the introduction and use of power mobility for children

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

Livingstone, R. and Paleg, G.

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12245

Systematic review of power mobility outcomes for infants, children and adolescents with mobility limitations

Clinical Rehabilitation

Livingstone, R. and Field, D.

DOI: 10.1177/0269215514531262

Clinical tools that measure sitting posture, seated postural control or functional abilities in children with motor impairments: A systematic review

Clinical Rehabilitation

Field, D. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.1177/0269215513488122

Facilitating child participation through power mobility

British Journal of Occupational Therapy

Casey, J. and Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.4276/030802213X13627524435306

A critical review of powered mobility assessment and training for children

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

Livingstone, R.

DOI: 10.3109/17483107.2010.496097

Beginning power mobility: A knowledge translation activity

Occupational Therapy Now

Livingstone, R.

Current Projects

Phase 1: Beginning Power Mobility. This study involves a cross-sectional, observational design wherein the relationships of measures from the child’s profile, environmental setting, physical location, therapy context, family attitudes and goals for power mobility will be described and examined with respect to parental preference of PMD for a longer term trial. ‘Power Mobility Days’ will be offered at locations throughout the province to children below 6 years-of-age with their families and community therapists.

Phase 2: Beginning Power Mobility. This study involves a repeated measures design where 16 children (below 6 years-of-age with mobility limitations) will be offered a 6-month loan of an early PMD (Wizzybug, Bugzi, Tiger cub or modified ride-on toy car). Children will be purposely selected from our Phase 1 study to represent a variety of diagnoses, ages, environmental situations, and types of parent-identified activity and participation goals for use of an early PMD. Measures will be completed at the beginning and end of the loan period.

Honours & Awards

Provincial Health Services Authority Plus Award (2015)

Children’s & Women’s Health Centre Education Award (2010)

Provincial Paediatric Recruitment and Retention Council Mentorship Award (2012)

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