Successful scanning for powered mobility: a review

Children with cerebral palsy access powered mobility through a variety of means such as joystick, switching and scanning. However, access tends to focus on physical aspects - such as where to place the joystick, what type of switch, and whether hand or head movements are most effective. When considering driving using a scanning system a range of pre-requisite skills is necessary relating to physical ability, cognitive function and visual perception to name a few. However, it is unclear as to precisely what those skills are and how each should be objectively measured. Provision appears to be based largely on clinical experience and success judged the same way. At present, the process in which the child with cerebral palsy develops the skills, and the steps to gain those skills to access powered mobility through scanning is uncertain. It is not easy to objectively predict if a person using a switch scanning system will be a successful and safe wheelchair driver. This presentation will present a summary of the current literature as to powered mobility access through scanning, as well as proposing a research project to objectively measure success and the steps to success.

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