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Adaptive Equipment for Children

Adaptive equipment for children is equipment that enables children with disabilities or illnesses to be mobile, engage in school or recreational activities or to perform life tasks and be more independent. Adaptive equipment includes special chairs or walking devices, communication aids, seating help, and equipment to help children with bathroom necessities such as toileting and hygiene. Adaptive equipment may also help a child participate in recreational activities, such as playing on the playground, creating artwork, or getting around on the internet.

  1. Mobility

    • Adaptive equipment for mobility includes items such as walkers, braces, gait trainers and related equipment. A gait trainer is a device that provides partial weight bearing and helps a child work on muscle skills and strength that coordinate walking movement. Braces allow for added support needed for some independent walkers to achieve better mobility. Walkers vary according to the pediatric patient's need. Some are stationary, other are wheeled and some provide seating while others fit behind the walker. Other items for mobility include standers, which aid a student in transitioning from sitting to standing.

    Seating/Eating

    • Children with disabilities may require adaptive equipment to help with eating or seating needs. Of course, wheelchairs provide seating for children and come in a wide variety of types depending on the needs of the child. Many adaptive seating chairs are multi-positioners, or can be adjusted to any height required. Some are easily wheeled from room to room. Eating helps include more stabilized plates and cups, specially designed utensils for those with fine-motor problems, and arm positioners.

    Hygiene/Self-Care

    • Bathing equipment for children includes bath seats or chairs, as well as special devices to help with stability, such as bars or grips and bathing systems. Toileting equipment includes toileting chair/systems, adaptive seating that fits over traditionally designed toilets and reachers. Safety rails and shower benches are other options in adaptive equipment for children to help with hygiene and grooming needs.

    Recreation

    • Adaptive equipment for recreational needs includes specially designed bikes, trikes or other ride-ons. Other equipment includes such things such as items to help with balance and posture in play, fine-motor accessories that help children cut or draw with more independence, and devices to help children play on the computer, such as joysticks, mouth pointers or large buttons and text-to-speech software.

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