Wheelchair skills training for people with complex movement disorder

This PhD is part of the pediatric neuro-rehabilitation research line Rehabilitation Sciences Campus Bruges. Dystonia and choreoathetosis are complex movement disorders and are dominantly present in dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP). Medical treatment is difficult and rehabilitation strategies are typically multidisciplinary. In dystonia and choreoathetosis, coordination is strongly disturbed by uncontrolled and inconsistent movements of these neurological disorders. Therefore, training wheelchair skills is challenging due to the need for specialized wheelchair control equipment, and requires lengthy and tedious training routines. Central to this PhD is the development of a suitable measurement instrument and training program for wheelchair skills with an emphasis on the suitability for the implementation of digital training tool and its validation together with therapists, carers and other experts in the clinical field.