Simulator Based Powered Mobility Training of Children With Special Needs

ALYN Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

Treatments: Other: Training with Powered Wheel Chair; Procedure: Powered Mobility Training Simulator

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04531488

004-17

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study compared conventional powered mobility practice to simulator based practice of children with special needs aged 6-18 years.

Full description

This study compared conventional powered mobility practice to simulator based practice of children with special needs aged 6-18 years.

The study has 3 stages: 1) Simulator validity study 2) Powered mobility outcome measures reliability and validity for children 6-18 years 3) Intervention study to compare simulator based practice and powered mobility practice.

1. Simulator validity study included 30 children aged 6-18 years, proficient powered mobility drivers. All participants had physical disabilities- CP or Neuromuscular conditions.
2. This stage included the first 30 children from the intervention study. Data for the study was based on the first evaluation out of the two evaluations in the study.
3. This stage included 36 children aged 6-18 years in need of powered mobility practice to become a proficient driver. The particpants were divided into two groups- experimental (simulator based practice) and control group (standard powered wheelchair practice).

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children with a physical disability that are not proficient powered mobility driver
• Children that can use a joystick

Exclusion criteria

• Children with visual accuracy limitations that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lens;
• Children who have a severe intellectual and developmental disability as defined by the Israel Ministry of Welfare's index for intellectual and developmental disabilities and reported by parents; Children that have a unstable medical conditions that prevent them from participating in powered mobility training (e.g., epilepsy)
• Children that can operate a powered wheelchair via switches or a scanning device.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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36 participants in 2 patient groups

Powered Mobility Training Simulator

Experimental group

Description:

Powered mobility simulator- the McGill Immersive Wheelchair Simulator (MiWe) was developed for adults. In a previous study the simulator was found valid for use with children. Participants were provided a laptop, joystick and the software program- MiWe- to practice at home or school

Treatment:

Procedure: Powered Mobility Training Simulator

Training with Powered Wheel Chair

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants were provided with a powered wheelchair to practice at home or school

Treatment:

Other: Training with Powered Wheel Chair