A Conceptual Framework of Mobility Assistive Technology for Cerebral Palsy Children with Mobility Impairment

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disability in childhood, especially mobility impairment. Assistive technology (AT) always plays an important role in improving the life quality of children with CP. However, the existing AT cannot meet all the requirements. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework to identify key factors for designing a new mobility AT for children with mobility impairment caused by CP. The conceptual framework was developed by identifying the key concepts from the literature, key variables, target users, and data collection and analysis methods in a sequential manner. The results showed that the key characteristics of children with CP were mainly the congenital nature, diverse complications, uncertain dependency and low participation. The mobility functions of wheelchairs are the most studied assistive technologies and nowadays are versatile, but a powered wheelchair (PW) is still underused. The key elements that influence their use of assistive products are the medical team, self-evaluation, environment, and their views of AT. Based on these we designed the conceptual framework. In summary, to design a new AT, the characteristics of children with CP, the already existing ATs, and the factors that influenced their use of ATs need to be considered.