[PI-1-7] Caregivers’ perception of modified ride-on cars and behavioral performances of toddlers with motor delays
Evidence supports the positive effects of using ride-on cars (ROCs) with a coaching model on mobility and psychosocial function in the hospital-based environments. However, few studies investigate caregivers’ perceptions of their children’s use of ROCs in such environments. This descriptive study aims to examine the differences on caregivers’ perceptions of ROCs and behavioral changes of toddlers with motor delays before and after receiving the 3-month ROC training, in comparison with the group who did not use the ROC. The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. Thirty-seven 1-to-3-year-old children with motor delays and their caregivers participated in the study. The ROC training group with two postures (ROC-sit: 15 participants, mean age: 20.3 months; ROC-stand: 12 participants, mean age: 21.6 months) received 12-week ROC training (120 mins/per session, 2 sessions/per week). The control group (10 participants, mean age: 24.8 months) received conventional therapy for the same dosage as the other two ROC training programs. The questionnaires applied in the previous ROC-related studies were filled out by caregivers before and after the intervention. The content involved binary, multiple-choice and open questions about the experience of the mobility device use, the perceived challenges of using the devices, the perceived changes in their children’s abilities and child-caregiver relationships. Data from binary and multiple-choice questions was coded and calculated as frequency and percentages. Descriptive data from the open questions which involved the caregivers’ responses was organized into several major categories. There was no significant difference in demographic data between the ROC and control groups at the pre-test. More families in the ROC group had less concerns about the child’s age and abilities for using a ROC after the 12-week training, in comparison with the control group. However, the perceived environmental and device barriers increased for the ROC group. In addition, over 90% of the caregivers in the ROC group reported they perceived positive changes in expectations on their children’s abilities at the posttest while there were 75% of the caregivers reported similar outcomes in the control group. In regard to the perceived changes in the child-caregiver relationship, nearly 70% of the caregivers in the ROC group and 42% in the control group reported positive changes. The results showed a potential use of ROCs to decrease caregivers’ concerns on children’s mobility and social function. The findings encourage us to include more participants and further examine the psychosocial function, social looking and interactions between the caregivers and toddlers with motor delays. Moreover, the application of questionnaires which focus on the attitudes and beliefs of caregivers will help us to understand clients’ decision-making practices and provide a more feasible protocol for use.