Ramping up the Future of Pediatric Wheelchair Skills Training: The Skills on Wheels Program in the Occupational Therapy Classroom

Research Objectives: The purpose of this presentation is to explore the implications of a student-led wheelchair skills clinic as a transformative learning experience for entry level occupational therapy doctoral students (OTS). Skills on Wheels is an annual pediatric wheelchair skills training (WST) program led and implemented by OTS that has been shown to increase pediatric wheelchair users’ confidence in functional tasks, wheelchair mobility skills, and decreased fear of falling This poster will analyze various strategies for student engagement and leadership in community-based wheelchair skills training, including students as members of the research and implementation team, students as program volunteers, and students completing community-engaged learning in practice courses.

Design: This design was a time-series, repeated measures design that aimed to examine student growth while delivering wheelchairs skills training to children.

Setting: Skills on Wheels is a community program that is free for children who are wheelchair users between the ages of 8 and 17. It is offered on the Indianapolis campus of Indiana University.

Participants: Participants of this study were 40 first year occupational therapy students enrolled in a doctoral program.

Interventions: In a Measurement & Assessment course, students are instructed about some assessments linked to wheelchair users' mobility, confidence, and competency. They are then given experience in practicing the skill training outlined in the Wheelchair Skills Test. Later in the semester, students participate in the Skills on Wheels pediatric wheelchair skills training program as spotters or trainers.

Main Outcome Measures: Students were given quantitative and qualitative assessments to examine their thoughts about the program (structure, benefits, interactions, etc.) as well as their understanding of disability.

Results: Initial results demonstrate that students who participate in the Skills on Wheels program increase their sense of professional identity, their knowledge of how to teach and perform wheelchair skills, and their understanding of the social model of disability. Presenters will discuss the background and importance of wheelchair skills training, avenues for student leadership and participation,and the implications of volunteering on student’s professional identity and understanding of occupation-based practice.

Conclusions: Doctoral students in occupational therapy programs often get limited training in treatment of patients who are wheelchair users. Most do not receive education on teaching wheelchair skills alongside of other important mobility elements. These educational milestones alongside the added ability of therapeutic interactions with children with disabilities show the overall benefit of experiences like this for students.

Author(s) Disclosures: No conflicts of interest are declared by any authors.