Mothers' perception toward using functional mobility AIDS for their children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Abstract Background: Children with Cerebral Palsy have difficulties in functional mobility due to abnormal tone, posture, balance, and coordination. That‟s why while children continue to use mobility aids then physical, social and overall environment act as either barrier or facilitator to use mobility aids. Then, mother faces so many difficulties and opportunities. That‟s why investigator run a study to explore mother‟s perception for using mobility aids for their children. In Bangladesh, still now there is no research conducted on exploring mother‟s perception toward using functional mobility aids for their children with cerebral palsy. Objectives of the study: The objectives of the study were to explore difficulties of the mothers for their children on physical mobility by using functional mobility aids in their physical environment, exploring difficulties of the mothers for their children on social activity by using functional mobility aids in their social environment, and exploring status of the mothers for their children on attending cultural program by using functional mobility aids. Methodology: The study was a qualitative content analysis under qualitative design. The study was conducted in the William & Marie Taylor School of Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) at Savar, and Proyash, Savar cantonment. There were eight mothers participated in this research. Semi structure questioners with face to face interview and the investigator used convenient sampling for data collection from the mothers of child with CP. Result and Discussion: From the finding of the research, it was seen that mothers of child with cerebral palsy have tendency to go to school by using mobility aids regularly though they face transport and behavioral difficulties for using mobility aids. Mothers face no difficulties to engage their child with other children by using mobility aids. But in society mother faces unlike, sympathetic, discriminative and uncomfortable attitude from the neighbors for using mobility aids. For this reason they don‟t use mobility aids to go fair. Mother‟s don‟t go to relative‟s house by using mobility aids due to transport difficulties. Most of the mothers go outside and encourage their child to participate in play by and they feel satisfied for using mobility aids. They ensure participation in the cultural program by using mobility aids for their school going children. Conclusion: Mothers perception toward using mobility aids show different problems in physical, social, and cultural aspects. They also demonstrate the importance of taking children‟s different developmental stages and unique personal experiences into consideration in understanding the influence of mobility aids for children with cerebral palsy.