Studies show about 4.3% of children in the United States have some form of disability. Among them are children with motor disabilities who may not walk or walk much later in their lives. While children without disabilities typically take independent steps by 12-15 months, infants and toddlers with mobility disabilities have limited or no ability to move on their own and may not be considered for wheeled mobility until they turn three to five years old or older.
A new joystick-controlled powered mobility device is now commercially available for children between one and three years of age—the only device in the United States that is FDA-cleared. A new study explores how toddlers with motor disabilities use this device during free exploration and play. The study was conducted by researchers from UW CREATE and the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), and co-led by Associate Professor Heather Feldner, PT, MPT, PhD.
For the study, nine children with motor disabilities between the ages of 12 and 36 months participated in 12 in-lab visits. Each visit included two 15 to 20-minute play sessions in a custom-instrumented Permobil Explorer Mini-powered mobility device that engaged the children in driving activities and tracked several metrics, including frequency and complexity of joystick interactions, distance traveled, and driving paths. On average, children drove a distance of 52 meters per session and spent about 30% of their time actively moving.
Although more research is needed, this study shows that driving patterns can be reliably tracked and that mobility technology may positively support self-initiated mobility, exploration, and learning for young toddlers with motor disabilities. Caregivers and clinicians can understand early usage patterns and use these data to influence the future design and implementation of powered mobility devices for children with disabilities. The study, Quantifying Joystick Interactions and Movement Patterns of Toddlers With Disabilities Using Powered Mobility With an Instrumented Explorer Mini , is available now in IEEE Xplore.