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.