Parents guide for wheelchair skills
Why practice wheelchair skills
- Better wheelchair skills help to increase your child’s self-confidence and participation in every day activities. By playing games and learning games and learning techniques to improve confidence in using their wheelchair.
- Start with easier command games first then build this up slowly increasing your child’s exercise tolerance.
- A mix of functional skills and games with repetition will help your child improve on basic skills.
- Start off with 10 mins a session then build it up to 20 mins develop skills.
What should we do?
- Begin on slowest speed to learn “stop and go”. Print a sign with “stop and go” to add a visual prompt.
- Drive forwards in a straight line for a short distance.
- Drive backwards for a short distance.
- Go through doors at slow speed.
- Understanding spatial awareness of others, learning to slow down when approaching people and different spaces then faster speed when in open spaces(if confident).
- Practice on different surfaces turning.
- Ramps: Incline and decline.
- Near the grass: Knowing when to stop
Hints and tips
- Make sure there are no bags are on the wheelchair, tyres are full and that the brakes are in working order before using the wheelchair.
- Start with learning how to start and stop confidently first, then as confidence builds move onto slow and fast but also encouraging turning at a slow speed.
- You could make a start, stop sign using a bat or racket.
- Ensure one person speaks to your child at a time to make sure instructions are clear and repeat games or tasks over several sessions.
- There is no harm in repeating the tasks at different times of the day. As your child gets more confident, gradually increase the time of the sessions.
- Encourage independence as much as possible, start with 10 mins at a time then build it up to increase your child’s exercise tolerance. Giving rewards for completing skills.
Games
Stop and go
To learn start and stop games, begin on slowest speed. Parent holds the stop and goes sign then encourages child to stop and go on command. Child can also hold the bat and encourage parent or carer to move for the child.
What time is it Mr Wolf
Parent turns their back to child, child asks what time it is Mr Wolf? Child then propels themselves forwards the number said by the wolf. Why not play with your child as the wolf too?
Obstacle course
Use what you can to make an obstacle course or use the space you have to go from one space to another without bumping into other objects.
Basketball
Basketball and hoop low to floor (or Bucket). Encourage propelling to get to the hoop and score a goal.
On the spot
If you have a small area place different coloured pieces of card on the floor. Play the Music and when the music stops drive onto a colour. Remove coloured card as you go along. Involve the rest of the family too! Take turns deciding which colour everyone needs to go to.
Encourage child to move around in their Wheelchair and ‘tag’ others such as parents or siblings to progress them in manoeuvring skills. Or place teddies around the room who need tagging.
In-between faster games Skittles, parachute or boules will help build balance and confidence within the wheelchair.
Feedback from parents and children after taking part
From Children
- “I’m now allowed to go with my cousin who is the same age as me around the shops together with mum nearby” Child aged 14
- “Proud of myself for self–propelling 50m” Child aged 16
- “I push myself round the shop instead of mum now” Child aged 9
From parents
“he is more independent and helps by pushing himself around when we go shopping. This means I can hold the trolley or shopping basket and not have to push him and the trolley around” Parent
