The effects of family directed power mobility on self-care, mobility, and social function in very young children with severe multiple developmental impairments.
Juan Aceros, Guilherme M Cesar, Ayshka Rodriguez and 1 others
PMID 40070885WHAT IT FOUND
Twelve children with severe mobility impairments used modified ride-on toys for three months.
Caregivers reported improvements in self-care, mobility, and social function. All children learned to operate the device, even those with cortical visual impairment or who could not follow commands.
Key findings
01All 12 enrolled children successfully learned to operate the power mobility device, including those with severe cognitive or visual impairments.
02Functional skills in self-care, mobility, and social function improved significantly after three months of use, as did caregiver assistance scores for self-care.
03Children did not need to understand cause-and-effect or follow commands prior to training to learn to operate the device independently.
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
The study had no control group, so improvements cannot be definitively attributed to the power mobility device rather than natural developmental growth. The sample size was small (12 children) and heterogeneous in diagnosis and ability. Device usage was self-reported by caregivers and not objectively monitored, which may introduce bias. The study did not control for the potential effect of added features like music or flashing lights on engagement. Follow-up was only three months, so long-term effects on motor or cognitive development are unknown.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the University of North Florida Faculty Publishing Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the observed functional gains were caused solely by the power mobility device. Without a control group, these improvements may reflect typical developmental progress in children aged 12 to 54 months, or the effects of increased family engagement and play, rather than the specific impact of the ride-on toy.