Page 19 - Mobility Management, May 2017

strollers to be too wide to accept multiple seat and back sizes. Other strollers do not provide critical seating without customized systems.
Some companies’ tilt-in-space wheelchair frames are smaller
I still wonder what a wheelchair “looks like” or doesn’t look like in the mind of the parents
versions of their adult tilt-in-space frames. They are heavy and awkward to fold, and most often you must totally remove the seating before you can attempt to fold
the frame.
When presented with a child’s
seating needs such as Bianka’s, both the therapist and I get concerned about providing an adaptive stroller, as we need critical positioning to address the child’s needs, and that positioning is often compromised in an adaptive stroller. Clinicians want a base that is small or narrow and that can come into the home; that performs well outdoors; and that accepts critical seating compo- nents, such as properly shaped seats and backs for our children’s body dimensions, as well as a variety of headrests, head supports, lateral pads and other components.
When meeting with the family to pick out a mobility base for a very young child, we try to educate the family on the fact that these bases must grow for a minimum of five years. A family’s first thought is not about positioning a birth-to-3 child in the home, as they are still holding and carrying their baby around. Instead, their concern is how they can leave their home and go out into the world without having their child looking different. Meanwhile,
clinicians are looking for both indoor and outdoor functions, as we know that a good seating system will support the child and provide an adjunct to therapy intervention.
A good seating system is almost orthotic, and with good upper extremities, this gives the child a place work and strengthen from.
In my experience the families who choose adaptive strollers most often are looking for a replacement in two to three years. Those families who choose a traditional wheelchair frame often do not know how to fold it, or they give up on it due to the time it takes to fold and how heavy and awkward the base is to put into a car or minivan.
A Wheelchair to Meet
Multiple Needs
Ki Mobility has finally come up with a solution to these diverse, long- time problems. The Little Wave Flip mobility base can look exactly like an adaptive stroller or a traditional tilt-in-space chair, depending on how you order it. During the evalu- ation for Bianka, the Little Wave Flip base was recommended.
A family’s first thought is not about positioning a birth-to-3 child in
the home
Her mother felt it looked like an adaptive stroller. She could easily and rapidly fold it just like a commer- cial stroller (she already knew how
to do it). The family also loved the Little Wave Flip’s aesthetic options, as they could order two colors and/ or colored wheels, making it fun for the family.
Ki Mobility understands their job is to manufacture a mobility base and
The family’s lifestyle considerations included the mobility system’s aesthetics and how easily and quickly it could be folded and transported during their busy days.
let the clinicians choose the type of seating to be interfaced. This allows me to use whatever seating is necessary to meet a child’s supportive needs.
Ki Mobility has also made a frame that is almost impossible to outgrow. The Little Wave Flip can be ordered from a seat size of 10" to 18" wide and 12" to 20" deep, with a user weight limit of 165 pounds. Most of my patients with this level of involve- ment never make it to more than 150 pounds. So this base can be used for almost anybody.
The Ki Mobility Little Wave Flip is the chair I use 90 percent of the time for these children who need tilt. This mobility base is truly a game changer. m
Jeff Auter, ATP, CRTS, is branch manager for National Seating & Mobility’s Wauwatosa, Wisc., office.
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