Building for the Future – Comprehensive Evaluation and Interview to Address the Equipment Needs of the Pediatric Client
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: TBD
Etac/Ki Mobility

Children with special healthcare needs may have many needs that differ from their typically developing peers.  This may include adaptive equipment to maintain or improve health status, help them function, and meet developmental milestones.  Refined assessment tools allow for early diagnoses, which then leads to early therapeutic intervention.  As a result, we can anticipate what the functional impairments are going to be, and what type of equipment may be indicated.

The timing of interventions, including provision of adaptive equipment, can be a critical contributor to success in meeting therapeutic goals.  Professionals involved in equipment prescription should recognize what types of equipment may be helpful, based on timing and diagnosis.  This presentation will review childhood development and disability and encourage the learner to consider the scope of possible equipment needs for the child with special healthcare needs.  

Making Power Wheelchairs Smarter: Exploring the Continuum of SMART Technology
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: Lindsey Sharpe, PT, DPT, ATP
LUCI

Many power wheelchair drivers face a variety of issues related to their independence, safety, efficiency, and accessibility as a result of impaired motor control, visual deficits, impaired reaction time, inattention, and various other deficits that are common among wheeled mobility users. This course will review the continuum of currently available SMART technologies that can be incorporated into the power wheelchair to address these issues and improve driver safety, confidence, and independence.

Evidence-Driven MWC Configuration: Optimizing Fit and Function for Different Body Types and Propulsion Method
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: Ginger Walls, PT, MS, ATP/SMS
Permobil

This 1-hour course is designed to help providers and clinicians develop best practices for recommending complex rehab technology (CRT) manual wheelchairs for individuals with varying body proportions and propulsion styles. Using the ICF model, the course will guide participants through the decision-making process, balancing evidence with functional outcomes to ensure successful CRT seating and wheeled mobility solutions. Through case examples and clinical reasoning discussions, participants will learn to identify clients' individual clinical and functional goals, driving configuration and component recommendations that enhance functional mobility outcomes, participation, and overall satisfaction with the equipment, ensuring a good person-technology match.

Please May I Have My Lap Back? Intervention Principles for Management of the Anterior Pelvic Tilt
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: Leah Cole, OTR, MOT, ATP, CEAC
Ride Designs

The goal of this presentation is to provide tools for identification and treatment of the anterior pelvic tilt in the wheelchair user. We will discuss common errors in diagnosis and treatment, early and (too) late intervention strategies and diagnosis specific considerations. I will provide the reader with strategies to increase user compliance with use of recommended support systems. Photos and case examples will accompany the written presentation.

Aligning Seating Technology with Clinical Needs - Pediatric Wheelchair Cushions and Backs
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: TBD
Etac/Ki Mobility

For many years, there were only a couple basic choices of primary supports for pediatric wheelchair users: custom configured or custom molded, with limited choices in between.  The options available in seating technology for the pediatric client have expanded considerably over the years, and today there are a number of off-the-shelf, out-of-the-package products available.   This greater range of available products requires professionals to be more discerning regarding the variety of choices before them, and recognize which product accomplishes the objective in a clinically appropriate way.  We know that children are not just a smaller version of the adult client and that their needs can be different.  What does the research say about what is important for the pediatric client regarding postural support and addressing postural asymmetries, maintaining tissue integrity, facilitating function, etc.  This reworked presentation will explore the types of seating technology on the market and seek to inform clinical practice by discussing considerations and applications of the various types of technology for primary supports for the pediatric wheelchair user.

Custom Molded Seating: From Historical Foundations to Modern Practice
0.1 CEU /Beginner
Presented by:  Ana Endsjo, MOTR/L, CLT
Matrix Seating

For individuals with complex postural needs, the quality of a custom seating system directly shapes their ability to participate in the occupations that matter most — from completing work tasks to engaging in meaningful social roles. When seating fits with precision, clients are freed from compensatory movement, fatigue, and discomfort, unlocking greater access to daily life. Yet inconsistencies in shape capture, material selection, and fabrication have historically contributed to poor outcomes and costly remakes that delay client progress.

This 1-hr course traces the evolution of custom molded seating over the past 50 years, examining key milestones alongside advancements in shape capture techniques and material science. Participants will explore how foundational molding methods gave way to modern capture techniques and emerging materials that impact clinical outcomes including pressure management, posture, and microclimate control. Emphasis is placed on improving clinical decision-making, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and reducing remakes through digital workflows — ultimately supporting improved occupational outcomes in self-care, feeding, and functional communication.

Integrating Expertise: Speech-Language Pathologists Collaborating with OT/PT for High-Tech AAC Evaluation and Treatment
0.1 CEU / Beginner
Presented by: Keri Morgan, MS CCC-SLP
RM Speech

This course is designed to provide professionals with an in-depth understanding of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) types, with a focus on high-tech AAC solutions. Course emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach, demonstrating how speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, & physical therapists can work together for eval/treatment.

Power Assist and Power Add-on for Manual Wheelchairs: A Clinical Perspective
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: Lindsey Veety, PT, DPT, ATP/SMS
Sunrise Medical

This course is designed for direct access therapists, suppliers, product representatives, and other seating and mobility professionals to enhance their knowledge and clinical application of the subject matter. Power assist and power add-on systems have rapidly evolved in recent years. They are commonly considered as a method of making a manual wheelchair a more functional option or as an alternative to a power wheelchair. This course focuses on rear, main-wheel, and front-wheel motor options as a power assist. Clinical indications for these technologies and objective measures useful to qualify the technology will be outlined. Funding criteria and justification for reimbursement will be provided. Functional use, training, set up, and care of the devices is also discussed.

Deciding on Power: Clinical Implications and Client Considerations
0.1 CEU / Beginner
Presented by: Mary Cabarle, OTR, ATP
Quantum Rehab

Individuals with chronic medical conditions and long-term disabilities who have a permanent need for a wheelchair require a comprehensive, detailed evaluation of their physical, functional and environmental needs to allow clinicians and ATP suppliers to make appropriate Assistive Technology recommendations for a successful outcome.

This course will examine the algorithmic approach when deciding on power mobility base selection while also discussing key performance parameters and capabilities of power options that lead to equipment recommendations specific to group categories and clinical implications. This framework will provide clinicians with the tools necessary to effectively evaluate and document the medical need for Power mobility intervention and assist the supplier ATP in matching an individual's identified needs to the technology interventions.

ABCs of Supported Standing and Stepping
0.1 CEU/ Beginner
Presented by: Lori Potts, PT
Rifton

Many published research articles recognize the benefit of supported standing and stepping. This session brings a fresh perspective summary to these research articles and offers knowledge translation that can impact our interventions as practitioners. Evidence-informed practice that focuses on participation-based intervention and incorporates supported stepping and standing will be discussed. Content will include an overview of the research and attendees will learn simple ways to link research to practice. This presentation bridges the "know-do" gap by translating research into relatable, actionable, and context-specific formats. The attendees will also learn how to share that knowledge with their colleagues and families in a way that is easy to understand.

The Drive for Function and Development: Alternative Drive Control Considerations for Early Power Mobility
0.1 CEU / Beginner
Presented by: Mary Cabarle, OTR, ATP
Quantum Rehab

Assessing an end user for power mobility can be an intimidating task. Decisions that are made will have an impact on the individual’s quality life, functional mobility, physical well-being, and social interactions. This task can seem even more daunting when it comes to the pediatric end user. Children have the natural desire to move, explore, and learn. Research has shown that there is a strong correlation between self-initiated mobility and the development of visual, cognitive, social, language, and perceptual skills. This course will discuss the characteristics and decision-making process for alternative drive control devices, as well as the special considerations on early power mobility intervention. Potential assessment and training tools for pediatric power mobility will also be explored.

Ahead of the Curve: Rethinking Plus Sized Seating and Mobility
0.1 CEU / Intermediate
Presented by: Stephanie Tanguay, OT/L, ATP
Invacare/Motion Concepts

Obesity has become common as a pre-existing condition during the last forty years, especially in North America. Rehabilitation professionals worldwide are challenged to maximize function mobility and all aspects of daily activity for consumers who have obesity as a secondary diagnosis. Finding appropriate equipment to meet the requirements of bariatric clients can be challenging, and the funding parameters for qualification and reimbursement can complicate this even more. Five years ago, there were more commercially manufactured bariatric cushions, back supports, manual and powered mobility devices available than ever before; not so today. Now more than ever, it is imperative that prescribers and providers properly measure the bariatric client and configure the equipment with understanding of weight distribution on base stability and seated orientation.                 

This session will examine the impact of redundant tissue and weight distribution on seated posture and wheeled mobility stability and performance. Measurement and accommodation of excessive tissue as it relates to the configuration of seat and back support surfaces and mobility devices will be discussed.  Case studies including consumers with a variety of diagnosis and complex tissue distributions will be presented to illustrate challenges and contribute to problem solving.