Evaluating a Therapeutic Powered Mobility Camp for Children with Severe Cerebral Palsy.
Lori Rosenberg, Adina Maeir, Yafit Gilboa
PMID 34435918WHAT IT FOUND
Children with severe cerebral palsy improved powered mobility skills after a three-week camp, with gains maintained at follow-up.
Participants achieved personal functional goals, such as driving to friends or moving around the school, and reported enjoying driving independently.
Key findings
01Powered mobility skills improved significantly after the intervention and were maintained at three-week follow-up.
02Participants achieved personal functional goals, with 70% of goals met and 54% of individuals achieving both of their goals.
03Most participants enjoyed the camp and felt their driving improved, with 71% citing driving independently as their favorite activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
There was no control group, so it is unclear how much of the improvement was due to the camp itself versus natural development or regular school therapy. The study did not include a standard cognitive assessment because existing tools were not suitable for participants with severe visual, manual, or communication limitations. Wheelchair adaptations were made individually during the camp, which adds variability to the intervention. The same outcome measures were used at every time point, so some improvement might be due to learning the test rather than gaining mobility skills. The sample was small (24 participants) and drawn from two schools in Israel, limiting generalizability.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this camp works for every child with severe cerebral palsy. Seven participants showed no clinical improvement in mobility skills, and the study lacked a control group to prove the camp caused the gains.