How To Proceed
Assessment
We are always pleased to arrange an appointment to determine any child's suitability for the equipment. This is free of charge and usually takes around 30 minutes, during which the child's specific needs are established and, if found suitable, measurements taken to enable the equipment to be produced.
Fitting Day
Upon completion of the device, parents are contacted to arrange a fitting date, at which time the child is introduced to the device and the most effective settings established to help and encourage their first steps in the equipment. Parents and / or medical staff will be shown how to manage the device and if all is well, the child will take the equipment home at that time.
Progress Appointments
Although offering a child the means of mobility, the equipment is a complex tool designed to help a child develop their own mobility skills and once making use of the device, it is essential to monitor the child's progress and to keep the settings in harmony with their ongoing and changing needs.
This involves regular adjustment of the device so as to provide the child with just sufficient support and guidance to help and encourage their own contribution to achieving a good posture and gait, a care service that is currently only conducted within the UK at our clinical facilities in Keighley.
Progress appointments take about one and a half hours and include an inspection and servicing of the equipment and any necessary adjustments to accommodate a child's growth. The main part of the appointment is then dedicated to assessing and encouraging the child's progress, allowing us to establish the criteria for the next appointment.
We also give out 'homework' - an achievable task that parents / carers can hopefully help their child accomplish by the time of their next appointment.
The frequency of monitoring is governed by a child's individual needs and rate of progress but we obviously take into consideration the family's location and the costs involved and try to keep these visits to a minimum. When appropriate, we invite families to send a video of their child's progress between visits, which not only provides an opportunity for us to study the child in their home environment, but can help extend the time between appointments.
We study and help each child as an individual and readily recognise that a child's progress is dependent upon a team effort. We therefore hope that a good working relationship will be formed between the Clinic, family, school and all those who care for the child while using the equipment.
When we feel that a child is ready to progress to the next stage of equipment, from four to two wheels for example, our practice is to issue the new equipment in addition to that which they are currently using, and in so doing, help the child make the transition at their own pace.
Although each child's rate of progress and ultimate achievement is dependent upon a great many factors, it is hoped that the benefits gained from use of the equipment will help and encourage their progress towards independent mobility, ultimately to the point when they no longer need such.
Interested parents should note that to gain most benefit, a child needs to use the equipment regularly and that this will require positive dedication and a great deal of time.