| Special Needs Parenting | 
Disabling the Enabler
I know many parents of children and teens with disabilities read these newsletters, so I thought I would focus on YOU for a change. Let me preface this by saying that my children were not born with disabilities. I can only imagine how challenging it is for a parent to deal with, handle, embrace, face, whatever it is that you want to call it to move forward with your lives. So while I praise and honor these parents, I must also point out that this "unconditional love" can run in excess at times to the point where I am seeing much too often parents becoming "enablers." The best thing that you can do is create an environment for your child to thrive. This does not mean doing everything for them. Trust your parental instincts. Go into your heart and seriously ask yourself if you really need to assist in this situation or do I need to back off a little and see how it plays out. So today, right here right now, I want anyone that thinks or knows that he or she may be an ENABLER to take full ownership of it, but make a promise to rid yourself of this title. Today is about "Disabling the Enabler!" More Parenting Advice
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Functional Positioning
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"W" - Sitting "X" - Plained
Many young children find that a "W" sitting position is how they prefer to sit on the floor and play. The "W" describes the shape a child's legs make when he is sitting with the insides of his legs on the ground and his bottom between his heels. I'd like to encourage you to help the children in your life to find a position other than "W" sitting. Consider the child with abnormal muscle tone, such as cerebral palsy with spasticity. The characteristics of the "crouch" posture common with CP is with knees bent, hips flexed, hips internally rotated, and hips adducted causing the knees to come together. Want to guess what position the hips and knees are in when a person is "W" sitting? That's right - knees flexed with hips flexed, adducted, and internally rotated. "W" sitting exacerbates the abnormal posture the child is already at risk for due to other underlying issues. Use positioning as much as possible to achieve desirable alignment and minimize the need for surgical procedures to lengthen muscles or derotate twisted bones. There are many alternatives to "W" sitting. Some involve adaptive equipment, and some simply involve a little creativity. The most simple is to encourage other positions for floor play.
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Adaptive Sports
|  My Excitement at the Kids Sports Spectacular
This Saturday I was fortunate to participate in the Kids Sports Spectacular 2011, hosted by United Spinal Association. This is a day where kids with disabilities can participate in a large variety of sports and other activities in the arena where the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey and 76ers Basketball Teams play. I have not seen so many kids with such big smiles, all day! I enjoyed hearing from families that talked with such excitement about how standing programs have helped their children improve in so many different ways. This event was held to get kids active in a healthy life style through sporting events and to have a great time. I am very proud that our company sponsors and participates in this event because we have a similar mission, to keep kids healthy and active! More Event Highlights |
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Clinician Resources
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Back To Play: Use of a stander helps one boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy regain his footing
Boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) progressively lose muscle strength, resulting in an inability to walk and reliance on a powered wheelchair for independent mobility. Wheelchair users are at risk for developing an immobility syndrome that includes accelerated muscle atrophy, muscle contracture, bone density loss, diminished gastrointestinal motility and impaired cardiorespiratory function. Furthermore, the inability to stand has profound psychosocial sequelae including a loss of self esteem and social isolation. In very young children, the inability to stand may also effect cognitive development due to impaired independence with exploration and altered visual perception. Incorporation of a stander as part of the regular activities of daily living may help to mitigate the secondary biomedical impairments associated with DMD. Furthermore, the ability to interact with family, peers and the environment in a weight bearing position provides an alternative to a life spent sitting. This article was written by Jason M. Kelecic, DPT at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, MN. It was published in the July issue of Advance for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine.Read Article |
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