Choosing support equipment in children's therapy

Abstract

During normal development, children learn how to position themselves so they can mobilize, participate in play and perform activities of daily living. Disabled children may have problems in the development process, which make achieving these positions difficult. Therapy can help these children develop the skills and muscle strength to position themselves as a precursor for learning activities such as sitting, crawling and standing. Equipment is necessary when children need more support in therapy or when they require continual positioning to prevent muscle contractures for example. Equipment such as wedges and standing frames also enable children to interact more easily with people and their environment, and provide important benefits to body systems. This article will explore the support equipment available for use in therapy sessions.