4 minute read
A LOOK AHEAD
WHAT PEDIATRIC POWER MOBILITY NEEDS IN THE FUTURE
Written by: SAM LOGAN, PH.D.
PEDIATRIC POWER MOBILITY (PPM) IS STILL IN ITS PUNK PHASE, AND THAT’S NOT A GOOD THING.
For the past decade, I’ve been involved with the Go Baby Go (GBG)program. GBG modifies commercially available, off-the-shelf and low-cost (~$200) ride-on toy cars for children with disabilities to use for mobility (see Figure 1). Punk and GBG are grounded in do-it yourself culture and activism. Punk bands are known for starting in garages with little to no music experience, trying out new sounds and speaking out against injustice. GBG relies heavily on the do-it-yourself spirit of families, clinicians, teachers, researchers and community members to modify ride-on cars, often with very little technical expertise. GBG embraces mobility as a human right, in alignment with the United Nations and advocates on behalf of children with disabilities. Like the early punk scene, GBG is enthusiastically embraced by like-minded individuals, but PPM is still on the fringe of rehabilitation culture. My vision is PPM gains widespread acceptance in rehabilitation culture and broader society.
MY VISION IS PPM GAINS WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE IN REHABILITATION CULTURE AND BROADER SOCIETY.
PRODUCTS:
Permobil’s release of the Explorer Mini (EM) for children aged 12-36 months is a major step forward for the industry because of the lack of other commercially available power mobility options for young children in the United States. The EM also represents a significant upgrade in functionality compared to modified ride-on cars. The EM requires a doctor’s prescription for trial or purchase and costs $2,803, which is low for Complex Rehabilitation Technology, but high for families to pay out-of-pocket. The EM prescription requirement and cost establishes a massive class divide and creates systemic inequity in access. White and middle to-upperclass families over represent PPM access, at least partly due to the resources needed for home, vehicle and lifestyle adaptations required for standard motorized wheelchairs. Equitable PPM device access could bead dressed through realignment of funding priorities.
FIGURE 1 Modified ride-on car with a large, easy-to-press activation switch and customized seating support. Photo credit: Alan Calvert, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University.
FUNDING:
One lesson of COVID-19 is funding priorities and health care decisions can change overnight,especially when able-bodied people become at risk for a debilitating infectious disease. Imagine a world where a global pandemic permanently caused young children to be unable to walk. Oh, right — polio and the resulting federally-funded vaccine program eradicated its existence in the United States (see"Polio: An American Story" by David M. Oshinsky for further reading). I am NOT suggesting mobility disabilities should be cured with medical treatment,but rather the response to polio is an example of how societal priorities can impact children’s lives. People with disabilities are not valued in our society, and children with disabilities are oppressed and relegated to wait their turn for mobility access. It’s all about priorities, and anything is possible when society decides it is ready for a paradigm shift (see Figure 2).
FIGURE 2 Napkin math of the pediatric power mobility funding problem and solution. For the most part, the ~$1.15 billion is a one-time cost that will establish a sustainable national lending library program for the Explorer Mini. This is still feasible, even if we assume an annual budget of $50 million ($1 million per state) to purchase/ rent infrastructure (i.e., building space), hire stakeholders to run the program (i.e., caregivers, clinicians, Assistive Technology Professionals), and miscellaneous costs (i.e., insurance).
INTERVENTIONS:
Interventions are rarely early and almost always late. PPM should be provided on time (Sabet et al., in press). Children with typical development crawl at around 7 months. Children with disabilities must gain mobility access at the same time.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I consider myself an outsider to PPM. I’m not a power mobility user, a clinician, parent of a child with a disability, or an Assistive Technology Professional. I’m not sure what the future holds. PPM will likely continue on the same slow and steady path it has always been on. A federally-funded EM lending library is ideal. A low-cost, off-the-shelf ride-on car with built-in accessible features is also an encouraging option. Children with disabilities deserve equitable access to mobility. We must all do better to achieve this goal. I love punk and what it stands for(see Figure 3), but it’s also time for PPM to go pop and never look back.
FIGURE 3 Quote from Alice Bag, lead singer of the L.A. based punk band The Bags, found in “Teaching Resistance” (p. 175) edited by John Mink. This quote simply states the potential of power mobility: empowerment and autonomy.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN SOCIETY DECIDES IT IS READY FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT.
Disclaimer: The author has received funding from Permobil in the past to help with a feasibility study of the Explorer Mini.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR Sam may be reached at SAMLOGAN52@GMAIL.COM
REFERENCE:OSHINSKY, D. M. (2005). POLIO: AN AMERICAN STORY. OXFORDUNIVERSITY PRESS.
Sam Logan is an associate professor in the kinesiology program within the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. Logan serves as the director of the Social Mobility Lab and PlayTech Workshop. His research focuses on children’s motor development, physical activity and the impact of pediatric power mobility interventions for young children with disabilities.
