Practical use of equipment in occupational therapy practice at the National Rehabilitation Center for Children in Tokyo

Abstract

Occupational Therapists at the National Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities in Tokyo fabricate specialized adaptive equipment for disabled children to maintain functional positions to support daily living and leisure activities as well as to prevent contractures and deformities. Equipment must support each child’s special visual motor coordination needs. Wheelchair adaptations, special seating systems, prone and side-lying positioners, trunk stabilizers, and elbow, wrist, and finger splints are all fabricated by occupational therapists. The adaptive equipment must support each child’s special positioning needs as well as assist families with providing care. The cost, materials used, weight, and fit must be considered. After initial equipment delivery, the occupational therapist must recheck the fit and the child’s function using the equipment and adapt it as the child grows. The overall result is to help parents to better care for their child and to achieve each child’s improved functional abilities.