Quantifying Parental Perceptions of Their Experiences With Their Young Children's Use of Power Mobility Devices.

Abstract

To quantify and explore parental perceptions of their experiences with their child's use of the Explorer Mini (EM) and a modified ride-on car (mROC) in young children with cerebral palsy. Data were gathered throughout a multisite, randomized, counterbalanced AB crossover 16-week clinical trial, wherein all participants used device A (EM) and device B (mROC) for 8-weeks each. Semistructured parent interviews were conducted at baseline (T0), post-intervention period 1 (T1), and post-intervention period 2 (T2). The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program was used to objectively analyze the transcribed interviews. Twenty-four child-parent dyads participated in the study. Parental perceptions were related to children's gross motor abilities, cognitive development scores, and device use order (EM-mROC or mROC-EM). Parents were positive about a potential means of helping their children. While most preferred the EM, opinions were contingent on the PM device, device use order, and child-centered factors.