LSU Health New Orleans School of Allied Health Professions will host the Geaux, Baby, Geaux! Workshop on April 21 from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at its Human Development Center, 411 South Prieur Street. In addition to training for professionals who work with low-mobility children, teams of participants will modify seating, steering and drive systems to prepare a ride-on car for a child with mobility needs. Ten adapted ride-on cars will be provided for kids with disabilities who can then use them for their own active mobility.
“Mobility is a basic human right, and occupational therapists recognize the importance of it because mobility contributes to social, cognitive, and communication development of children,” notes Kerrie Ramsdell, MS, LOTR, LSU Health New Orleans Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy. “Children who have limited mobility are at increased risk for more delays in these three areas. By offering power mobility, we have the ability to aid the overall development of children with motor impairments.”
The workshop, sponsored by Numotion, is designed for physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and early childhood educators who want to better understand the practical implementation of power mobility in early childhood. The goal of the course is to provide participants with evidence and resources that support early powered mobility from both a research and clinical perspective. Participants will have opportunities to discuss their own ideas about powered mobility, as well as get hands-on experience in modifying cars.
Sam Logan, PhD, of Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, will present recent advances in science, training and technology that are quickly closing the gaps in providing power mobility to you children. His research agenda focuses on the health and well-being of typically developing children and children with disabilities, with recent work emphasizing the role of independent mobility in the development of language, cognition, play interactions, and motor behaviors of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, and other significant physical and cognitive diagnoses.
The Go, Baby, Go! Program was developed by Drs. Cole Galloway and Sam Logan at the University of Delaware. The community-based research design and outreach program, begun in 2012, modifies motorized cars for children with limited mobility.