Project Description:
Use of powered mobility devices for young children with developmental disabilities may increase individual functional mobility, communication, and social engagement. In this study, researchers quantify how young children interact with powered mobility devices and measure how using such devices impacts their movement, language, and development. This study aims to meet four objectives:
Objective 1: Quantify how children navigate their environments and interact with the device (e.g., joystick, steering wheel) while using a powered mobility device.
Objective 2: Measure how children move their bodies (e.g., body positioning, muscle activation) while using a powered mobility device.
Objective 3: Evaluate how language skills (e.g., social communication, self-produced vocalizations) change when children use a powered mobility device.
Objective 4: Evaluate how development (e.g., cognition, fine and gross motor skills, expressive and receptive vocabulary) changes when children use a powered mobility device.