For over a century, early childhood experts have discussed the importance of play for young children's growth and development. Play is critical for the development of young children as it increases learning (Barton, 2015), supports young children in gaining social and communication skills (Dennis & Stockall, 2015), and leads to social…

The need for assistive technology--technology that assists persons with disabilities--is great. At no time has there been a greater need to provide assistive technologies than to assist the thousands of military veterans returning home from the Middle East with a range of physical and mental disabilities. Mobility impairment is a significant…

Mobility is fundamental to active aging and is intimately linked to health status and quality of life. Although there is widespread acceptance regarding the importance of mobility in older adults, there have been few attempts to comprehensively portray mobility, and research has to a large extent been discipline specific. In this article, a new…

This document, approved by the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Board of Directors in September 2005, shares typical clinical applications and provides evidence from the literature supporting the use of seat-elevating devices for wheelchair users. Wheelchair mobility is often only considered from…

As a school-based physical therapist, the author sees children with a wide variety of diagnoses affecting their mobility and motor function. Supported standing is an important part of the routines of those who are unable to stand independently due to issues affecting the neuromuscular system. Being eye-to-eye with their peers and interacting with…

This article presents a story about children with special needs whose exceptional parents had the courage and faith to look beyond their child's physical disability. Their vision granted them opportunities in a therapeutic riding program, which previously would not have included individuals with such severe disabilities. Through their…

This document, approved by the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Board of Directors in March 2007, shares typical clinical applications and provides evidence from the literature supporting the use of power wheelchairs for children. It is RESNA's position that age, limited vision or cognition,…

Over the past 10 years, the numbers of students with physical disability who are being educated in inclusive or universal design for learning (UDL) classrooms have been increasing steadily. These students are expected to complete grade-level assignments, but not all of them are provided the necessary supports to do so. Many teachers in inclusive…

Having read about the 2008 Medicare and Medicaid budgets, the author concluded that more families are going to be turned down for the equipment they are going to need. Here he shares a story of hope, determination, and perseverance. A call came into the ExoMotion office from an anxious mother asking about strollers for her daughter with special…

This article describes the experiences of an exceptional parent who always takes his daughter for rides in a CycleTote special needs bicycle trailer. Dennis Foster, an exceptional parent from Commerce, Oklahoma, found that taking his twenty-eight-year-old daughter Hasha for rides has made her happy. Hasha has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Some aspects of assistive technology can be enhanced by the application of virtual reality. Although virtual simulation offers a range of new possibilities, learning to navigate in a virtual environment is not equivalent to learning to navigate in the real world. Therefore, virtual reality simulation is advocated as a useful preparation for…

The appropriateness of a consumer's seating and mobility system varies considerably depending on the competence, proficiency, and experience of the professionals assisting the user. At present, there is a scarcity of skilled and knowledgeable therapists to evaluate and recommend seating and mobility devices. There is also a lack of measurement…

Within most educational institutes there are a substantial number of students with varying physical and mental disabilities. These might range from difficulty in reading to difficulty in attending the institute. Whatever their disability, it places a barrier between them and their education. In the past few years there have been rapid and striking…