Specialty Seating and Mobility

What we do:

IWK Children’s Rehabilitation, Specialty Seating and Mobility Service provides assessment and consultation for adaptive, complex seating and mobility systems to support children from Nova Scotia and PEI. Our goal is to enhance comfort, improve posture, and support functional independence by creating seating systems tailored to each child's unique needs. Our team works closely with caregivers, community Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist and third party medical equipment vendors to ensure the seating system supports the child's functional activities at home, school, and in the community.

The service includes a comprehensive evaluation, individualized prescription/recommendation, and fitting and delivery to ensure that the child’s comfort, safety, and postural support are optimized. We work with and provide education to families and their healthcare teams. Wheelchair skills training is provided as appropriate with support from the IWK Specialty Seating Occupational Therapist, Rehab Assistant and/or local Occupational Therapy team. We offer ongoing monitoring and follow-up as requested to adapt the seating system as the child grows and their needs evolve over time. 

By providing seating systems that are adaptable, supportive, and designed for comfort, we aim to improve the child's quality of life, participation in activities, optimize posture, reduce the risk of pressure injury and promote greater independence and mobility in daily activities

IWK Specialty Seating & Mobility Core Members:

•    Specialty Seating Occupational Therapist
•    Funding Coordinator
•    Seating Technician 
•    Rehab Assistant.  

Who do we Service: 

IWK Children’s Rehabilitation, Specialty Seating and Mobility Service provides assessment and consultation for children in Nova Scotia and PEI. Service is primarily provided at the IWK with occasional community outreach. IWK Specialty Seating and Mobility sees clients between 0-21 years of age and/or when they have graduated from school. Clients are then transitioned to adult seating services.

What do we do: 

• Comprehensive Assessment
• Recommendations of appropriate complex seating and mobility equipment, including: 
• Custom molded seating & accessories to meet assessed complex needs
  • Growth and modification service for complex seating & mobility systems
  • Consultation regarding pressure injury prevention and management strategies related to seating  
  • Collaboration as appropriate concerning augmentative-assisted communication (AAC), assisted technology (AT), and environmental controls 
  • Safe travel consultation when unable to use retail car seats & have complex postural asymmetries requiring support to facilitate a safe, upright posture for transport
  • Customizations to alternative seating systems as requested in consultation with the community/local Occupational Therapist 
  • Early mobility systems in consultation with the community/local Occupational Therapist 
• Fitting and delivery of seating equipment 
• Ongoing monitoring and Support when requested 
• Wheelchair Skills Training & Education as required - with support from the Occupational Therapist, Rehab Assistant and/or local Occupational Therapy team.

What to expect:

Assessment:

During the initial visit to Specialty Seating and Mobility, families will be interviewed to determine child and family goals. A postural and mobility assessment of your child will be completed and further assessments may occur over additional appointments to further assess and trial equipment. In addition to the child, their family and core Specialty Seating and Mobility members, the team may also include the primary/local Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist working with the child, and a third party equipment vendor representative of the caregiver’s choice.
 

Recommendation:

The Specialty Seating and Mobility Occupational Therapist, Seating Technician, and supplier representatives, will evaluate, modify, or prescribe seating and mobility equipment that will help clients live an inclusive life, optimizing their function, postural support, mobility and comfort.
 

Funding:

Investigating your funding options such as insurance or government programs (Ex. Department of Community Services - Direct Family support), before your appointment, is important to setting your seating goals.

Once the recommendations for your child have been determined, the Funding Coordinator will assist and support you in navigating the appropriate funding options and requirements for submission.

Once funding is secured, the equipment will be ordered by the vendor.
 

Billing:

This process will depend on the medical supplier’s policies and the direction given by the funding source.  
 

Fitting and Delivery:

Once the equipment is ready for delivery, an appointment will be scheduled with the family, and the vendor if appropriate, for a final fitting and delivery. Further follow-up will be discussed with you at that time. If you ever have concerns about function, mobility, positioning, or comfort you should contact the IWK Specialty Seating Service.