Orientation and Mobility for Your Child Who Uses or Will Use a Wheelchair
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Perhaps you are here today with apprehension or concern, eager to learn how your child will travel when blind or low vision and using a wheelchair (full-time or part-time). You aren’t sure how orientation and mobility (travel training for individuals who are blind or low vision) will work when your child isn’t walking. Is a white cane useful? What skills may your child learn? Who will support your child’s acquisition of skills? How can you assist your child in learning about their environment while in a stroller or wheelchair? All fantastic questions. Let’s orient ourselves with an overview.
Skills involved in O&M for wheelchair users
As you know, every child is an individual; your child’s learning skills will be individualized. Your child’s abilities, desires, needs, strength, balance, stamina, and pain level will be considered during the assessment, goal planning, and instruction. The following is a general outline of mobility proficiencies for wheelchair users who are blind or low vision:
- Human guide (being led by another)
- Forearm protective technique
- Initiating movement and controlling chair speed
- A straight line of travel
- Braking
- Cane grip and techniques
- Following distance
- Trailing walls
- Detecting and navigating obstacles
- Detecting and navigating drop-offs
- Reversing
- Turning
- Navigating doorways and doors
- Route planning
- Navigating pedestrian traffic
- Utilizing stairs
- Utilizing elevators
- Utilizing ramps
- Ascending and descending
- Navigating curbs and curb ramps
- Navigating speed bumps and parking lots
- Crossing streets and intersections
- Boarding wheelchair lifts on transport services (fixed-route services, medical transports, etc.)
- Utilizing van services and rail services
- Securing/ strapping down the chair to lift/ vehicle
The list can feel overwhelming, but please remember that your child will be taught incrementally and proceed only when previous competencies are mastered.
The team approach
The above abilities are not simply skills the orientation and mobility specialist teaches. You, with your child’s involvement if age and developmentally appropriate, and your child’s team of medical professionals should work together to select appropriate goals and work toward them. For instance, if your child is learning human guide, the physical therapist may ensure your child’s trunk is well stabilized, an occupational therapist may help your child develop the hand strength needed for a secure grip, the orientation and mobility specialist will teach the technique, and you can help the team recognize what would motivate your child to learn and practice the skills.
Yes, the team, with your child and yourself as the leads, will pool together their expertise and resources for the benefit of your child.
Increasing your child’s active engagement with surroundings
Meanwhile, using a wheelchair doesn’t mean your child has to remain a passive traveler. To learn how to help your child increase autonomy and remain an active participant. You’ll learn to provide your child with cues of what’s to come, how to involve them in the process of mobility, how to help them explore their surroundings, and how your child can direct movement.
We want your child to have a sense of control over their mobility and to gradually learn to travel safely to the best of their abilities.