Activity performance of children with Cerebral Palsy who uses supportive seating: A survey of parents

Abstract

Background: Supportive seating can play an important role in caregiving and parenting as it assists children’s daily life management. Without support many children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) cannot sit. Evidence suggested that therapists, including Occupational and Physiotherapists often prescribe supportive seating (adaptive seating) to improve their function, ambulation, and participation in daily activities at home, school and in the community. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of supportive seating on children’s activity performance in Bangladesh to help therapists provide more effective interventions. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the activity performance of children with Cerebral Palsy who uses supportive seating. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study design was followed in this study. Data was collected through a face-to-face survey among 58 participants using the Child Engagement in Daily Life Measure (CEDLM) Version-2. Descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, and spearman's correlation test was applied to determine correlation among duration of using supportive seating and frequency, enjoyment of participation and performance in self-care. Results: The findings showed that 42.79% children could participate in family and recreational activities, 36.87% enjoyed these activities and 30.27% could perform in self-care activities in supportive seating. It was found that the use of supportive seating had an overall positive effect on the activity performance of children with CP who need support to sit. The study also showed difficulties in activity performance experienced by participants from parents' perspectives. A relationship was observed among duration of using supportive seating and frequency, enjoyment of participation and performance in self-care. Conclusion: The study explored the prevalence of activity performance of children with CP who uses supportive seating, as reported by their parents. The findings highlight both the positive impact and difficulties associated with supportive seating. By addressing these difficulties, Occupational Therapist can play an important role in the rehabilitation of the children with Cerebral Palsy. Key words: Cerebral Palsy, Supportive seating, Activity performance, Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapists.