Skills on wheels: initial pre-post findings from a pilot study of a pediatric wheelchair skills training program

• Published in: Disability and rehabilitation: Assistive technology 2024-11, Vol.19 (8), p.2945-2952
• Main Authors: Chase, Tony, Mendoza, Kiera, Rager, Carson, Stiens, Maria, Loeser, Madison, Stead, Tiffany, Kozlowski, Whitney, Van Antwerp, Leah, Camilleri, Jessica, O'Neil, Joseph
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ability; Adolescent; Child; Children; Disabled Children - rehabilitation; Falls; Fear & phobias; Female; Graduate students; Humans; Individualized instruction; Male; Mobility; Motor Skills; Pediatrics; Pilot Projects; Self Efficacy; Skill development; Skills; Social Participation; Training; Wheelchairs
• ISSN: 1748-3107; 1748-3115; 1748-3115
• DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2324146

Skills on Wheels, a 5-week pediatric wheelchair skills training program implemented over 2 years, was developed to address confidence, social participation, and mobility for wheelchair-using children. This study tests the hypothesis that pediatric wheelchair skills training will increase wheelchair skill ability, confidence, and participation of wheelchair-using children. Individualized instruction was delivered by occupational (  = 50) and physical (  = 12) therapy practitioners and doctoral students. The primary program intervention was adapted for pediatric wheelchair users from the adult Wheelchair Skills Training Program, developed by Dalhousie University, consisting of a total of 33 wheelchair skills. An adapted version of the Wheelchair Confidence measure (Wheel-Con-M-P), the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY), and Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) were used to measure participants confidence and ability to complete wheelchair skills, endurance, and participation and satisfaction in community, school, and home. The study resulted in: increases in confidence in ability to move wheelchair over threshold (+1.00,