Overview

In North America, there are few power mobility devices suitable for young children from one to five years of age. Aesthetics, portability, weight and safety considerations are believed to be important to families of young children. Our current research is exploring family and therapist perceptions of several novel early power mobility devices such as adapted ride-on toys and miniature power wheelchairs. Some families and children will be given the opportunity to borrow this equipment for a six-month loan to explore how this equipment can be integrated into family life and how children benefit. We hope to expand this research into a larger scale loan program in BC that will include ongoing data collection regarding benefits of early power mobility for children and families.

Publications

Standing power wheelchairs and their use by children and youth with mobility limitations: an interrupted time series
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology
Debra A. Field and Jaimie Borisoff and Franco H. N. Chan and Roslyn W. Livingstone and William C. Miller
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2096933
02/2024

Identifying and Evaluating Young Children with Developmental Central Hypotonia: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Tools
Healthcare
Álvaro Hidalgo Robles and Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12040493
02/2024

Power Mobility, Supported Standing and Stepping Device Use in the First Two Years of Life: A Case Report of Twins Functioning at GMFCS V
Disabilities
Roslyn W. Livingstone and Angela J. Chin and Ginny S. Paleg
DOI: 10.3390/disabilities3040032
10/2023

Supported-standing interventions for children and young adults with non-ambulant cerebral palsy: A scoping review
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
Lynore J. McLean and Ginny S. Paleg and Roslyn W. Livingstone
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15435
06/2023

Exploring change in young children’s power mobility skill following several months’ experience
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology
Roslyn W. Livingstone and Debra A. Field
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1847207
04/2023

Use of Overground Supported-Stepping Devices for Non-Ambulant Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review
Disabilities
Roslyn Livingstone and Ginny Paleg
DOI: 10.3390/disabilities3020012
03/2023

RESNA position on the application of power mobility devices for pediatric users
Assistive Technology
DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2017.1415575
2023

Beginning power mobility: parent and therapist perspectives
Disability and Rehabilitation
Roslyn Livingstone and Debra Field and Colleen Sanderson and Nicole Pineau and Jill G. Zwicker
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1842916
06/2022

Parents’ and Therapists’ Satisfaction with Four Early Childhood Power Mobility Devices,Satisfaction des parents et des thérapeutes à l'égard de quatre dispositifs d'aide à la mobilité motorisés pour jeunes enfants
Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Field, D.A. and Livingstone, R.W.
DOI: 10.1177/00084174221098879
2022

Evidence-informed clinical perspectives on postural management for hip health in children and adults with non-ambulant cerebral palsy
Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.
DOI: 10.3233/PRM-220002
2022

Exploring young children’s activity and participation change following 6 months’ power mobility experience
British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Roslyn W Livingstone and Debra A Field
DOI: 10.1177/0308022620973935
11/2021

Enhancing Function, Fun and Participation with Assistive Devices, Adaptive Positioning, and Augmented Mobility for Young Children with Infantile-Onset Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Scoping Review and Illustrative Case Report
Disabilities
Roslyn Livingstone and Ginny Paleg
DOI: 10.3390/disabilities1010001
01/2021

Beginning power mobility: An exploration of factors associated with child use of early power mobility devices and parent device preference
Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering
Roslyn W Livingstone and Jeffrey Bone and Debra A Field
DOI: 10.1177/2055668320926046
01/2020

American and Canadian therapists’ perspectives of age and cognitive skills for paediatric power mobility: a qualitative study
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology
Kenyon, L.K. and Jones, M. and Breaux, B. and Tsotsoros, J. and Gardner, T. and Livingstone, R.
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2019.1606858
2020

Power mobility skill progression for children and adolescents: a systematic review of measures and their clinical application
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
Debra A Field and Roslyn W Livingstone
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13709
10/2018

Power mobility for children: a survey study of American and Canadian therapists’ perspectives and practices
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
Lisa K Kenyon and Maria Jones and Roslyn Livingstone and Becky Breaux and Jessica Tsotsoros and Kelly M Williams
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13960
10/2018

Interventions to improve sensory and motor outcomes for young children with central hypotonia: A systematic review.
Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine
Paleg G and Romness M and Livingstone R
DOI: 10.3233/prm-170507
PubMed: 29630564
01/2018

Interventions to improve sensory and motor outcomes for young children with central hypotonia: A systematic review
Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
Paleg, G. and Romness, M. and Livingstone, R.
DOI: 10.3233/PRM-170507
2018

Commentary on “Ride-On Car Training for Behavioral Changes in Mobility and Socialization Among Young Children With Disabilities”
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1097/pep.0000000000000401
07/2017

Commentary on "ride-On Car Training for Behavioral Changes in Mobility and Socialization among Young Children with Disabilities"
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.
DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000401
2017

Physical risk factors influencing wheeled mobility in children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study
BMC Pediatrics
Elisabet Rodby-Bousquet and Ginny Paleg and Jackie Casey and Alicja Wizert and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-016-0707-6
10/2016

Evidence-informed clinical perspectives on selecting gait trainer features for children with cerebral palsy
International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation
Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.12968/ijtr.2016.23.9.444
09/2016

Measuring Outcomes for Children with Cerebral Palsy Who Use Gait Trainers
Technologies
Roslyn Livingstone and Ginny Paleg
DOI: 10.3390/technologies4030022
08/2016

Comparison of the inertial properties and forces required to initiate movement for three gait trainers
Assistive Technology
Ginny Paleg and Morris Huang and Stephanie C. Vasquez Gabela and Stephen Sprigle and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2015.1123780
01/2016

Facilitating interprofessional evidence-based practice in paediatric rehabilitation: Development, implementation and evaluation of an online toolkit for health professionals
Disability and Rehabilitation
Glegg, S.M.N. and Livingstone, R. and Montgomery, I.
DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2015.1041616
2016

Systematic review and clinical recommendations for dosage of supported home-based standing programs for adults with stroke, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions
BMC Musculoskelet Disord
Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-015-0813-x
11/2015

Outcomes of gait trainer use in home and school settings for children with motor impairments: a systematic review
Clinical Rehabilitation
Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1177/0269215514565947
01/2015

The child and family experience of power mobility: A qualitative synthesis
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
Livingstone, R. and Field, D.
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12633
2015

Systematic review of power mobility outcomes for infants, children and adolescents with mobility limitations
Clinical Rehabilitation
Roslyn Livingstone and Debra Field
DOI: 10.1177/0269215514531262
04/2014

Practice considerations for the introduction and use of power mobility for children
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12245
2014

Clinical tools that measure sitting posture, seated postural control or functional abilities in children with motor impairments: a systematic review
Clinical Rehabilitation
Debra Field and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.1177/0269215513488122
07/2013

Facilitating child participation through power mobility
The British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Jacqueline Casey and Ginny Paleg and Roslyn Livingstone
DOI: 10.4276/030802213x13627524435306
03/2013

Facilitating child participation through power mobility
British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Casey, J. and Paleg, G. and Livingstone, R.
DOI: 10.4276/030802213X13627524435306
2013

A critical review of powered mobility assessment and training for children
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology
R. Livingstone
DOI: 10.3109/17483107.2010.496097
06/2010

Beginning power mobility: A knowledge translation activity
OT Now
2009

Beginning power mobility: A knowledge translation activity
Occupational Therapy Now
Livingstone, R.
2009

Research

Current Projects
Phase 1: Beginning Power Mobility. This study involves a cross-sectional, observational design wherein the relationships of measures from the child’s profile, environmental setting, physical location, therapy context, family attitudes and goals for power mobility will be described and examined with respect to parental preference of PMD for a longer term trial. ‘Power Mobility Days’ will be offered at locations throughout the province to children below 6 years-of-age with their families and community therapists.

Phase 2: Beginning Power Mobility. This study involves a repeated measures design where 16 children (below 6 years-of-age with mobility limitations) will be offered a 6-month loan of an early PMD (Wizzybug, Bugzi, Tiger cub or modified ride-on toy car). Children will be purposely selected from our Phase 1 study to represent a variety of diagnoses, ages, environmental situations, and types of parent-identified activity and participation goals for use of an early PMD. Measures will be completed at the beginning and end of the loan period.

Honours & Awards

Provincial Health Services Authority Plus Award (2015)

Children’s & Women’s Health Centre Education Award (2010)

Provincial Paediatric Recruitment and Retention Council Mentorship Award (2012)