One day while Jimbo, Emily and I were at Physical Therapy, the Therapist asked me how I gave Emily a bath. I was taken off guard by what seemed to be an odd question. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings and provide the answer. I told her that I just knelt on the floor beside the tub with one arm around Emily and washed her with the other hand. The Therapist relayed her understanding that my technique was not good for my back or knees. I confirmed her suspiscions but stated that I did what had to be done. She then asked me about a bath chair. I had no idea that such a thing existed and, frankly, had never even given any thought to this subject -- I just did what I needed to do to care for my daughter.
The bath chair is a vital piece of equipment for families of children with a physical disability that inhibits their ability to sit safely without assistance. Once a child outgrows the baby bath aids, there are several different styles of bath and shower chairs available. Since these items are not readily available in department stores, though, families are not likely to be aware of this type of adaptive equipment.
Here's a link to a photo of Emily in her bath chair with description.
If we were forced to select only one piece of adaptive equipment for Emily, it would have to be the corner chair! Well, that is, in the days before she got her wheelchair, anyway. Even with the wheelchair, it would be extremely difficult to give up the corner chair.
We were introduced to the corner chair some time between Emily's first and second birthdays, I can't remember exactly when and I can't even imagine living without it. When it was first mentioned and described to me, I couldn't imagine what in the world the service provider was talking about. And now, year later, I attempt to describe the corner to you. Hmm... well, it's a chair that provides your child with extra support and allows her to sit on the floor, at floor level. The corner chair is made out of wood and has angled sides. That is, rather than having a flat back it has three pieces of wood joined at angles so that the back of the chair replicates a corner -- similar to setting your child in a corner of a room or the corner of the couch. It also has padding for the bottom and back and a bolster insert for between your child's legs. The chair has no legs allowing your child to play on the floor.
But there is more to the corner chair than that. We have used Emily's corner chair as a booster seat at the baby sitter's or while visiting friends when we didn't have any other equipment. Depending on the style of kitchen chair, it can be set on the kitchen chair and provide support for your child to sit at the kitchen table. Now, if it is used in this way ,adult supervison is required at all times since the corner chair is simply setting on the kitchen chair and my slip off. This is not the recommened use of the corner chair, but it works in a pinch.
Emily and her corner chair go in the garden, the beach, the sandbox, the yard, camping......geesh, that chair has been everywhere! Here's a link to photos and descriptions of the many uses we have found for Emily's corner chair.
The toddler chair is a very handy piece of equipment, but not nearly as vital as the corner chair. The toddler chair is made of solid wood and is kid-sized (well, they come in different sizes and probably under different names). It has adjustable foot rests that can be set at different angles and you can get sandles with Velcro straps to put on the foot rests to keep the child's feet in place, if necessary. There is a bolster for between the legs and the back can be set at different angles as well. It also comes with a tray that attaches to the wooden arms. The back and seat pads are covered with vynle and make cleaning very easy. We found this chair most useful for coloring, looking at books, building with blocks or just about anything else. It is also handy for nights the family wants to eat pizza in the living room!
At school, they have the same chair only it stands a little taller and fits up to the classroom tables allowing Emily to sit up just like the other kids. At school, it is used for reading, coloring, or other classroom activities -- and eating, too.
Although the toddler chair is not truly portable, it is possible to lug it to the grandparents' or babysitter's house. Sometimes, we take it out on the porch, patio, or under a shade tree to enjoy the our short summer. The only problem I have found with this chair is that it does not provide Emily with enough trunk support and I often have to verbally prompt her to sit up as she flops over to her side. This happens at school, too, but, in Emily's case, I view this as a form of physical therapy reminding her to work at sitting upright. However, activities that challenge her to use her arms, for example, often warrant the extra support of rolled towels inserted beside her trunk. Sometimes I take a piece of Velcro and wrap it around Emily, under her arms, and secure it around the back of the chair. Adjusting the angle of the seat back can aid in trunk support, also.
Here is a link to a photo of Emily in her toddler chair.
We were introduced to the Prone Stander shortly after Early Intervention services were in full swing. Emily's Physical Therapist asked me if we did any "weight bearing" with Emily, then translated this to asking how much time Emily spent standing. She then described the Prone Stander as a piece of adaptive equipment made out of wood that resembled a large easle with a shelf for Emily to stand on while she leaned against the angled upright board. She continued the description by explaining there weres Velcro straps to hold her in place, and a wooden tray for toys, paper and crayons, etc. She also explained that everything on the Prone Stander was adjustable so we could set it just right for Emily and that it had wheels on the base so we could easily move it about the house.
The next time the Physical Therapist visited she brought a Prone Stander with her. I do admit that it was larger than I had expected and appeared even larger inside our small three-bedroom home. The Prone Stander was wonderful for Emily at the time and allowed her to stand and play. I could move the Prone Stander, even with Emily in it, into the kitchen as I washed dishes or prepared meals. Often Jimbo would be sitting on the stool at the counter helping me make cookies and I could wheel Emily over to us in the Prone Stander.
As the pieces of special equipment began to accumulate in our small home, I found myself using the Prone Stander less. At this time, also, I had discovered that I could turn a kitchen chair backward up against the counter, stand Emily on it and Velcro her to the back of the chair while we were making cookies or washing dishes. We returned the prone stander and have not had it back in our home since. Emily continues to use a prone stander at school and it is wonderful for her to paint, draw, cut, or other activities that her peers often perform while standing. Emily's Physical Therapist has inquired about her standing at home but we now do standing by leaning up against the coffee table while I am behind her to assist with her balance when needed. Too, Emily now stands on a stool at the bathroom sink to brush her hair and teeth. I stand beside her, perpendicular, with my left foot up on the stool and my knee and thigh supporting her behind.
I have considered getting the Prone Stander back in our home but we are currently under construction as we make the home accessible for Emily and her wheelchair. This project includes a 16 x 30 foot addition, so we may bring the Prone Stander back when we have completed the remodeling and have use of the extra space.
Here is a link to a photo of Emily in the Prone Stander.
It is common to hear parents of two-year-olds speak of how they wish their toddler would stay in one place for just a minute. For us, regarding Emily, the opposite was true. Emily wanted to move around and experiece her world but did not have this ability independently. It became increasingly difficult for me to carry her with one hand or in the baby back pack (see below) while I attended to household chores. I began requesting catalogues from companies advertised in Exceptional Parent Magazine to see what our options were for mobility equipment and beds (see Miscellaneous Tips). I spotted this Gait Trainer in a catalogue from Rifton, Inc., and, after obtaining approval from the relevant professionals, we ordered one for Emily. Everything on the Gait Trainer is adjustable and the frame is reversable. The Gait Trainer has ankle straps to prevent scissoring, controls for gait, trunk support, arm rests, handle grips, and more. This worked very well for Emily, although, she never has accomplished much mobility with it. I say it worked well for her because it provided her with a way to stand and play independently at floor level. She was able to experiment with taking steps on her own and she could stand in the Gait Trainer at the coffee table and play as her brother did.
We haven't used the Gait Trainer much in the last couple years, though. This model seemed a bit heavy for Emily and, I am told, was the first Gait Trainer to come out. Now, I am told, there are a lot of different models and manufacturers of Gait Trainers. The philosophy behind the Gait Trainer is one that I believe in and I feel these devises are worth investigation. We will be considering the use of the Gait Trainer again soon and, perhaps, a different kind would suit Emily a little better. Emily is still very tiny and I believe this Gait Trainer would work better for a child of more appropriate weight.
Here is a link to photos of Emily in the Gait Trainer.
I was plagued by the question, "How do you accomplish grocery shopping when you have a child that can not sit without support but is too big for the infant seat attached to the grocery carts?" The answer I found was the baby back pack. When Jimbo was an infant we used a cloth front carrier. I never purchased a back carrier because I feared that I wouldn't be able to get to him quick enough if I needed to, plus I just didn't feel right about not being able to see him. The front carrier also worked well for Emily when she was an infant. I spotted a baby back pack while at a garage sale and began to give the baby back pack further consideration. Emily was old enough and at a developmental stage that allowed me to feel comfortable about having her ride on my back. She was still small enough to fit in the baby back pack as it was larger than the front carrier we had, and she was certainly light enough for me to carry in a back pack. So I paid the few bucks and figured it was certainly worth a try -- it may just solve the grocery store problem. Indeed it did. I also found it to work well for stopping for unexpected errands, mowing the lawn, hikes while camping, and much more. We ended up with two of these baby back pack and I would recommend this to others who find themselves in the situation we were in. We kept one at home and one in the car so we were never caught with out the baby back pack for Emily. Now that she has outgrown it, I really miss it. Recently, Dad suggested taking the family for a walk into his deer hunting territory but I don't see how this is possible because neither of us could carry Emily for too long hiking through the meadows, hills, woods, creeks, and rock cliffs. Perhaps, they have larger back carriers -- or perhaps the frame of a hiking back could be converted?? Hmm....I will have to look into that!
Sorry, no photo available of the baby back pack.
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